Rise To Power
by Dragon6
Summary: Banished, Naruto is alone. He must now do things on his own and survive. He must grow stronger and prepare himself for his emenies. He will go through pain on an un-imaginable scale but he will grow pass them and protect all that is pericous to him.
1. Prelude

_**Prelude**_

He walked through the rain toward an unknown destination. His blond hair fell across his eyes, soaked with rain. His orange jumpsuit felt heavy from the rain and his movement was sluggish. Even though his eyes were hidden, you could see the sadness in his expression. He had lost everything that was dear to him. First it was his brother.

---Flashback---

The retrieval team that went after the traitor Uchiha Sasuke returned successful. Though four out of the six were critically injured, they were healing amazingly well thanks to the Godiame, Tsunade. A member of that team now stood in front the door that his comrade was being held. It was easy to get pass the guards being such perverts. He entered the room to see Sasuke. He was bound to his hospital bed. He turned to see who was visiting him and glared. He glared at the person who stopped him from obtaining the power he needed to avenge his clan. That person was Uzumaki Naruto. Naruto sighed at the glare and looked at him.

"Are you all right?" Naruto asked

"What do you think?" Sasuke growled

"Well, I did say that I was going to brake your arms and legs." He joked. Sasuke struggled to get free from his bonds as he jerked forward.

"YOU THINK THAT THIS FUNNY DOBE? LOOK WHAT YOU DID TO ME." Sasuke roared

"I told you that I was not going to let you go to Orochimaru. I'm trying to protect you from him and yourself. Do you truly think that he would have given you the power to kill your brother without a price? Think about it teme."

"I'll kill you." Sasuke sneered

"What?"

"I'll kill you. If I ever see you again, I'll kill you."

"Damn it Sasuke, I'm trying to help you." Naruto shouted

"I don't need your help. I don't need Konoha. I don't need anything. The thing I need is power to kill my brother. That is all I care about and nothing else. You dare to lecture me? I'm an avenger and you will always be a dobe. Now get out of my sight." Sasuke yelled. He sighed and turned to leave.

---Present---

He then lost his first love.

---Flashback---

Naruto waited at team seven's meeting spot. He had gotten a letter from Sakura to meet him here. He did wait to long as Sakura came into view. Thinking that she was going to thank him for bring Sasuke back, he put on his usual grin and walked to meet her.

"Hey Sakur…" was as far as he got before he was slapped by her. His head reeled back and he had a shocked look on his face.

"How could you do that to Sasuke-kun?" She yelled. "I asked you to bring him back and you almost killed him. It's a miracle that he could still be a ninja after what you did to him. I thought you were his friend. I hate you, Uzumaki Naruto. You're nothing but a monster." She turned and left. If she had stayed, she would have heard his heart breaking.

---Present---

Next the village turned against him.

---Flashback---

Naruto hit the ground and slumped over. The group of adults looked at him with satisfied smirks.

"That's for the Uchiha, you little demon." One said and they left him on the ground. He could have fought back. He was a trained ninja after all but they were villagers. He was to protect them so he showed restraint. Lately, these beatings had gotten worse. They have also ransacked his apartment and he was lonelier than ever. He felt a hand on his shoulder and flinched. When the hit never came, he opened his one good eye to see his sensei, the Gama (toad) sennin, Jiraiya. He also noticed that Konohamaru, Mogei and Udon were with him. They had tears in their eyes and Jiraiya gave him a sigh. He carefully picked him up and took him to see Tsunade.

---Present---

Lastly, he lost his dream.

---Flashback---

Naruto sat before the council members. He knew that this would happen sooner or later. Word got out about the red chakra that he used in his fight against Sasuke and the council was not happy about it. At his side were Jiraiya, Tsunade and Iruka. He was unhappy that Kakashi was not there but it didn't come as a surprise. The man never really gave a damn. Then there were his so-called friends. With the exception Neji and Hinata, everyone avoided him like the plague. He sighed and turned toward the losing battle that was going on.

"How dare you do this to him? After all he has done, this is how you wish to treat the Yondiame's sacrifice?" Tsunade yelled

"He is unstable. You saw what he did to Sasuke. He can not control the fox." Said Homaru

"It was necessary. Sasuke attempted to kill him when he used Orochimaru's Juin jutsu. Are you just going to ignore that?" Iruka accused

"You are stepping out of line Umino Iruka. This is for the best for Konoha." Koharu said

"You're just covering up for him with your hate for Naruto." Accused Jiraiya

"Are you saying that we are being unfair Jiraiya?" said Danzo. The minute that Naruto met this council member, he knew that this man was evil. He felt that he only lived for the pain and the suffering of people. Danzo realized that he was being watched by Naruto and glared at him. Naruto glared right back. He didn't take stuff for the other two elders and it wasn't different for this guy.

"I would advise you to watch who you glare at boy." Danzo said

"Like I care about who you are?" Naruto said

"Naruto." Said Iruka

"His anger is wild. Because of that, he can't control the Kyubi's power. He is a danger to everyone." He said. Tsunade was about to retort until she was cut off.

"I'm sorry Tsunade but our decision is final." Koharu said. She faced Naruto. "Uzumaki Naruto, you are hereby stripped of your rank and are banished from Konohagakure no Sato. The council has spoken."

---Present---

So now, a soaked Naruto walked toward a destination. He just took off in a random direction, not really caring where he was going. His first choice was to go to Suna but that would cause problems for Gaara and Tsunade. He looked and saw that he at the entrance of a bridge. The bridge looked familiar to him. Looking at the sign, he saw something that gave him a shock.

_The Great Naruto Bridge_ was the title. Naruto had many questions running through his mind until a voice cut his train of thought.

"Naruto-ni-chan?" Naruto turned to see Inari with his mother, Tsunami. They walked up closer to get a better look.

"It is you Naruto. How have you been? My god, you're soaked to the bone. What are you doing…" She was cut of as Naruto hugged her with tears coming out of his eyes. She was very confused now and returned the hug. Inari wondered what was wrong with his hero.

---------------------

_**Glossary**_

**Suna **– Sand

**Konoha **– Leaf

**Konohagakure no Sato** – village hidden in the leaves

**Gama **- toad


	2. Chapter 1

_**Chapter 1**_

Tsunami, Tazuna and Inari looked at the sleeping form that was Naruto. Tsunami had changed his wet clothes and placed him in the spare room. He had cried himself to sleep after she and Inari found him.

"I wonder what could have happened? He looked so broken and sad." Tsunami said.

"I don't know. We will have to wait until he wakes up. I saw that he didn't have his Hitai-ate." Tazuna said.

"I don't like this. It looks like he's having nightmares." Inari said. They watched as his eyes seem to be moving around behind his eye lids.

"Like I said, we will have to wait and see. Let's let him rest. We will get our answers when he awakens." Tazuna said. He led them out before looking at his country's hero. What happened to the grinning, happy-go lucky blond? He sighed and walked out of the room, leaving Naruto to his nightmares.

_**X X X**_

Naruto eyes opened to see a ceiling. He turned toward the window as he heard some birds singing. Their singing did little to ease the pain he was feeling. He returning to looking at the ceiling. He just stared at it with a dead expression on his face.

His dream was crushed and his heart was broken. He had been betrayed by those he considered his family and friends. Those on the council had gotten their wish. His former home was probably still celebrating his banishment. Now, he was all alone and felt truly abandoned.

He sighed and slowly sat up. He wiped his eyes before looking off into space. He knew that Tazuna and his family would want an explanation. He slowly stood and made his way downstairs to where he smelt breakfast.

_**X X X**_

Naruto sat with Tazuna and his family. Tsunami and Inari were shocked while Tazuna had an disgusted look on his face. Naruto had just finished explaining what happened to him.

"So they banished you because you did your duty? It seems that Konoha isn't as benevolent as they portray themselves to be." Tazuna said.

"What I don't understand is why they banished you? It could be just because of Sasuke's condition." Tsunami said. Naruto decided that he shouldn't keep his secret any longer. They deserved to know.

"Thirteen years ago, on the day of my birth, the Kyuubi no Yoko attacked my village. The Yondaime Hokage could not kill the beast so he sealed it into a newborn baby. That baby was me. Because of my status, I was mistreated and left alone. During the retrieval mission, I used the Kyuubi's chakra to capture Sasuke. They saw this as a problem and banished me." Naruto explained.

"But, you had no choice! Sasuke was using that Juin thing and you had to match it!" Inari exclaimed.

"It didn't matter to them. I was a liability and this was their ticket to get rid of me." Naruto explained.

"Damn it, that isn't right!" Inari shouted. The two adults agreed with him. Tazuna then looked at Naruto.

"So, what's your next move kid?" Tazuna asked. Naruto couldn't really answer him. Tazuna made his way over to him and placed his hand on his shoulder. "What happened to you sucks but this is not the time to be depressed. You have to pick yourself up and move forward. Konoha may have abandoned you but you are still cared for."

Naruto looked up and faced them. They all smiled at him. Naruto began to tear up while his mouth began to turn into a smile. Tazuna saw this and knew that Naruto would be fine.

_**X X X**_

Naruto sat on the edge of a cliff. After a good cry and a little rest, he stepped out to get some air. From his position, he could see the village. He saw that the place looked more lively. He could see many vendors and shoppers. It also seemed like the shipping had gotten better too. He was happy that things had turned out well for Nami no Kuni.

He turned his attention to the setting sun. It reminded him of the sunsets in Konoha. As he looked at the sun, he began to plan what to do next. Without Konoha backing him, it made him easy pickings for the Akatsuki. He knew that Tsunade-obaasan and Ero-Sennin would attempt to keep it quiet but it wouldn't last. Once word got out, they would immediately be after him.

That was why he needed to stay off the grid. He also needed to get stronger. He would train his butt off and make sure that they didn't get him. That meant he had to leave Nami no Kuni. While it was nice that Tazuna and his family cared for him, he was putting them and Nami in danger. He had to go and stay on the move. The only question was where could he go?

_**X X X **_

"Sunagakure no Sato? That's way across the land. Wouldn't Kirigakure no Sato or Yukigakure no Sato be better because they're closer?" Tazuna asked.

"Kirigakure is still in the middle of a civil war and I don't know if Yukigakure still exist after Dotō was dealt with. Iwagakure and Kumogakure are definitely out because of their relations toward Konoha. Despite the fact that I'm exiled, they won't help me become stronger. Takigakure would be a good choice but Sunagakure would be better." Naruto explained.

"What are you planning to do in Suna?" Tsunami asked.

"Train and train hard. They won't be like Konoha and take it easy on me. The truth is that I have some bad guys out there who are after me for the Kyuubi. I have to be ready to face them." Tazuna and Tsunami looked at each other. They looked back at Naruto.

"If this is for the best, then we will support you." Tsunami said with a smile.

"I know a guy down on the port. He ships supplies to Kaze no Kuni. I'll see if I can get you on board." Tazuna said.

"Thanks you guys, I really appreciate it." Naruto said.

_**X X X**_

Two weeks later, Naruto made his way toward Suna. He had enough supplies for the travel. He was about a day out from Sunagakure. The guy that Tazuna hooked him up with was a crab fisherman. To get passage, Naruto would have to work on his ship. Naruto agreed and with his Kage Bunshin, the guy didn't have to hire anyone else. The guy was so appreciative that he actually paid him.

After landing in a port village, he thanked the captain, brought some supplies and made his way into the desert. The guy he asked told him that it would be a two and a half day travel. Either way, he would be in Suna by the morning after tomorrow. He wondered how Gaara was doing?

As he neared a sand dune, he heard some voices. Curious, he carefully made his way over to the voices. His cloak mixed in with the sand and he looked over the dune. He saw Gaara. He was with his brother and sister as well as two other shinobi. They were facing a group of Konoha shinobi. He recognized two of the Konoha shinobi who were examiners of the chūnin exam. He listened carefully to what was going on.

"I understand that you are upset with us right now but please be reasonable. If we go back and go around we would be wasting half a day to get to our destination. Please, allow us to pass through your borders." Kotetsu asked.

"You should count yourselves lucky that we haven't banned you from entering Kaze no Kuni. It will only be for a year. Surely the great Konohagakure could last a year without our help?" Kankuro asked sarcastically. One of the Konoha shinobi was seething.

"You sand rats should consider _yourselves_ lucky that we didn't retaliate after your betrayal!" he spat.

"Whatever. You guys are just bitter because your daimyo punished you for your stupid actions. I mean, you lost trading rights with Nami no Kuni and you lost trading rights with Yuki/Haru no Kuni. Boy, he must have been pissed." Temari mocked. The Konoha shinobi growled and reached for his holster but he was quickly wrapped in sand. Everyone looked to see Gaara with his hand out stretched. He was slowly closing his hand, making the that guy cry out.

"Please," Kotetsu begged.

"You will go back and around the borders as we dictated." Gaara said. He released the shinobi and watched as he regained his breath. "This will be your only warning." Kotetsu and Izumo looked at each other a sighed.

"Alright, we will abide by the decree of your council. If it makes an difference, my friend and I were not one of those who agreed with the situation." Izumo said. Gaara didn't say anything to either of them, making them sigh again. They moved to help the shinobi up and they made their way back toward the boarder. Gaara watched as they were out of his view. He then looked toward the sand dune.

"Uzumaki, you are free to come out." Gaara said. Everyone was confused when they turned to see Naruto stand up and remove his hood.

"Hey Gaara, long time, no see. So, what have you been up to?" Naruto asked.

_**X X X **_

Night fell over the desert. Naruto, Gaara and the others were eating dinner. Their relief came and they made their way back to Suna. As they ate, Kankuro was telling Naruto about what just happened with the Konoha shinobi.

"So because of my banishment, your council has banned any Konoha shinobi from entering Suna's borders?" Naruto asked.

"You can thank Gaara for that. He told the council that the reason he's been so calm is because of you. This is their way of thanking you." Kankuro said. Temari bopped him in the head for wording it like that. Naruto looked at Gaara.

"Thanks Gaara but I wish you hadn't done that. Tsunade-obaasan was one of the few who tried to help me. This ban will give her some unwanted headache." Naruto said. Gaara said nothing but kept looking at him.

"The one called Lee told me to tell you to continue your youthful ways. He apologizes for not seeing you off or having your back as he was not aware of what was happening. He also says that he will strive to be as strong as you. This was after your status was released to the village." Gaara said.

"So they released my status huh?" Naruto asked softly.

"Oh yeah, that chubby guy wanted to let you know the same thing. He said that he's sorry that he didn't back you up." Kankuro said.

"The crybaby said the same thing. Well, first he said that it was mendokusē, then I decked him and as we were leaving, he stopped us to tell us the same thing." Temari added. That brought a smile on his face. At least he wasn't forgotten by people who cared.

"So, anything else happened that I should know about?" Naruto asked.

"Man, weren't you listening to the discussion we had with your former comrades?" Kankuro asked.

"All I really heard was that the daimyo was pissed." Naruto said.

"Pissed doesn't even tell the story. We were there when I happened. He just stormed into the room and demanded to know why Nami no Kuni and Yuki/Haru no Kuni ended trade with Hi no Kuni. He already knew why as the daimyo from each land told him. They tried to explain why they banished you which only enraged him further. He cut Konoha's funding by thirty percent and took half of their missions away, distributing them to us, Taki and Kusa. You should have seen the smiles on our council." Temari explained with a laugh.

"Damn, obaasan must be feeling her age." Naruto said.

"Well, she did get some payback. The daimyo was so angry with how they treated their shinobi, that he had Sasuke taken out of his holding cell and transported to a private prison away from Konoha. That is where he will spend out his two year sentence. Tsunade couldn't stop smiling." Temari added.

"Well, that's good." Naruto said.

"Why's that?" asked Temari.

"Maybe I'm being naive but maybe this will change his ways." Naruto explained.

"I doubt that. Anyway, what brings you to the desert?" Kankuro asked. Naruto suddenly got serious.

"This concerns you as well Gaara. There are some individuals called the Akatsuki. They are after people like you and me."

"What are you talking about? Who's after Gaara?" one of the Suna shinobi asked.

"All I know that they're called the Akatsuki. I really don't know how many members there are. I also know that they are after the bijū. I only know two members. One is Uchiha Itachi and his partner, some guy made Kisame." Naruto stated.

"Hoshigaki Kisame, the Kirigakure no Kaijin? He's an S-rank missing-nin like Uchiha Itachi!" the other Suna shinobi said.

"That can only mean that this Akatsuki group is made up of S-rank shinobi." Temari reasoned.

"This is not good." Kankuro said.

"Last time I faced them, I was scared stiff. I refuse to be like that the next time we meet. I was hoping to stay a year and train. I know that you guys won't hold back on me." Naruto said.

"What do you need to work on?" Gaara asked.

"The truth? I want to re-learn everything. That shouldn't take long. A new fighting style and few jutsu couldn't hurt." Naruto stated.

"I will speak with Baki when we return. I will also join you in this training. This Akatsuki seems to be serious." Gaara said. Naruto grinned and continued to eat.

_**X X X X X **_

_**Glossary**_

_**Kyūbi no Yōko**_ – Nine Tailed Demon Fox

_**Yukigakure no Sato**_ – Village Hidden in the Snow

_**Yuki/Haru no Kuni**_ – Land of Snow/Spring

_**mendokusē**_ – How Troublesome

_**Hi no Kuni**_ – Land of Fire

_**Kirigakure no Kaijin**_ – Monster of the Hidden Mist


	3. Chapter 2

_**Chapter 2**_

Naruto stood next to Gaara, Temari and Kankuro. The trio brought him before the Suna council. They told him that he would have to gain their permission for training. They stood at the ready as the council finished their last decision. When it was over, they turned to Gaara and his siblings.

"So Gaara, you have a request? Who is the boy with you and your siblings?" asked the head speaker.

"This is Uzumaki Naruto. He has come seeking training." Gaara answered. They all looked at Naruto.

"Yes, I remember you now. You are the one who defeated Gaara during the invasion." Baki said.

"This is the one who defeated Gaara?" a councilman asked surprisingly. He looked him over, making Naruto nervous. "He doesn't look like much." Naruto's nervousness turned into annoyance. He was about to say something but Kankuro stopped him.

"Exactly why should we agree to train him? If I'm not mistaken, isn't he the one Konoha Banished two weeks ago?" a councilwoman asked.

"He has brought with him important information that you should hear." Temari said. She ushered Naruto forward. Making a mental note to prank that councilman, Naruto stepped forward.

"Okay, there is a group of shinobi that are after people like myself and Gaara." Naruto said.

When you say like Gaara and yourself, you mean that you," Naruto nodded, cutting the councilman off.

"Fourteen years ago, I was used to seal the Kyūbi no Yōko. I was not created to be a weapon. I was to be seen as a hero of my village. Anyway, when on a mission to retrieve the Godaime Hokage, I was approached by two shinobi. They came for the Kyūbi that was sealed within me. If it was no for my sensei, Jiraiya, I would probably be dead." Naruto said. His report disturbed the council and had them muttering. They turned back to him.

"Do you know the name of this group of shinobi? Who are their members? How many are in this group?" Baki demanded.

"The name of the group is Akatsuki. They can be identified by their black robes that have red clouds. I don't know how many members there are but the two who came after me were Uchiha Itachi and Hoshigaki Kisame. I also know that Orochimaru use to be a member." Naruto stated.

"All three are S-rank missing-nin!" one council member exclaimed.

"This is very disturbing news. Baki!" the head speaker called out.

"I will strengthen our defenses right away." Baki said. He nodded and turned his attention back to Naruto.

"Thank you for the information Uzumaki Naruto. I must ask you however, why do you wish for training? If I heard correctly, your sensei was Jiraiya, one of the Densetsu no Sannin." he said.

"Wait a minute, I thought your sensei was Hatake Kakashi?" Baki asked.

"_Hatake Kakashi_ was anything but a sensei. The Gama Sennin taught me more in two months than he did in six months." Naruto said seriously. Everyone noticed the tone that he used when he mentioned Kakashi's name.

"Still, you have not told us why you need training?" a councilwoman asked.

"The honest truth is that my training is not where it should be. My victories against Gaara, Kabuto and even Sasuke was by luck. If I am going to face a group like the Akatsuki, I must be stronger than I am now." Naruto said. The council murmured positively, agreeing with his words.

"Very well then, we will allow you to train under one of our elite. We will give you eight months worth of training. After that, you will have to move on." the head speaker ordered.

"Eight months is plenty of time. Just watch, I'll be kicking ass and taking names in four!" Naruto boasted. The council looked at him with a bit of disgust. Temari and Kankuro just smirked and snickered at his behavior. Gaara had no expression at all.

_**X X X**_

The next day found Naruto in one of Suna's training grounds. He stretched out his muscles as he waited for whoever the council would send as his instructor. A woman suddenly appeared. She had blue eyes like him and dark hair from the looks of it. He really couldn't tell from the turban that she wore. She was wearing what all Suna shinobi wore. What really confused him was the scroll that was on her back. Upon further inspection, he saw that it was cloth. He wondered what type of fighting style would require her to knit.

"Uzumaki Naruto?" she asked. Naruto nodded and stood in front of her. "My name is Maki and I will be the one that will be your sensei for the eight months that you are here. Before we begin, I would like to know what you plan to accomplish in these eight months?"

"Well, I definitely would like to work on my basics techniques and my chakra control. Oh, and I would like to learn who to deal with Genjutsu. Those are really my main concerns. I'll learn any jutsu you wish if you deem me ready. Other than that, I will be working on a side project of my own." Naruto explained. Maki nodded and appeared to be happy.

"Very good, I can definitely help you out with the first two. The Genjutsu is also not a problem but we'll get to that later. Let us start by you showing me what you got. We will go further after that." Maki said and readied herself. Naruto jumped back and got a determined look on his face. He placed his fingers in a cross. Four clones appeared next to him and readied themselves to attack. They charged at the awaiting Maki.

Maki unwrapped her cloth and captured the first Naruto. She pulled him forward and wrapped her cloth around her hand, forming a spear. She thrust the spear into his side which dispelled him. The other four attacked Maki. They pulled out kunai in order to combat her cloth spear. Maki proved to be very good at dodging and countering. She dispelled two more clones with ease. Seeing that Naruto was getting nowhere, he summoned some more clones in order to overwhelm her.

Maki easily dodged and countered the army but she was soon getting tired. She did some hand seals and blew a gust of wind into the ground. The sand kicked up, blinding the clones. Maki released some explosive notes into the dust and jumped out. She ignited them, causing multiple but non-lethal explosions. The dust cleared to see every clone defeated but one.

She made her way over to check on him. As she got close, a fist shot out through Naruto's body, which was dispelled. Maki did not worry and did a single seal. Naruto suddenly found himself wrapped up in cloth and could not move. Maki stood over him.

"That was a pretty good plan but you make it way too obvious. I'm kind of impressed that a thirteen year old know a B-rank kinjutsu. However, I have what I'm looking for. Tomorrow, we will truly begin your training." Maki said. She released Naruto and make her way off the training grounds. Naruto stayed for a little while longer, wishing to work on the Rasengan. This was the side project that we wanted to work on. He made himself a promise that he would get this down to one hand before the eight months was up.

_**X X X**_

Kankuro dropped Naruto on the couch of his temporary home. The blond looked tired and was a little damp. Temari, Maki and Gaara were all there with him. Gaara turned his attention to Maki, making her flinch a little.

"How is he doing under your guidance?" Gaara asked.

"His potential is through the roof. It's only been a week and his basics and chakra control has gotten better. He's learns more through the body than he does the mind. That's something that is a bit difficult." Maki explained.

"So, you have him doing the waterfall climbing exercise?" Temari asked.

"Yes and he almost has that down. If he gets to a level that I'm comfortable with, I teach him how to glide across the sand."

"So what are his weaknesses?" Temari asked.

"He'll never have the skills for Genjutsu. We are working on a way for him to dispel them and sense them. He needs to update his tactics a little as well. He main one is becoming out dated and easy to see. A Genin with enough training can see what he's planning." Maki said. She then remembered something that she needed answering. "I asked him who his sensei was. If he was training by Hatake Kakashi, then Jiraiya the Gama Sennin, how is he so far back?" Maki asked.

"Well, he doesn't see Kakashi as his sensei. Jiraiya only had a few months with him before he was banished." Kankuro answered.

"Well, at least he's fun to train. I'll bee taking my leave now." Maki said and left via Shunshin. Temari walked over to Naruto and smirked.

"So, how do you like the training so far?" Naruto grinned and gave her a thumbs up.

_**X X X**_

Two months had passed since arriving in Suna. Naruto, who had turned fourteen a week ago, was quickly coming into his own. Maki was a harsh taskmaster but her personal training was working. His basics were much better. His tactics had improved, especially when it came to the Kage Bunshin. His chakra control was much better and he barely wasted it. The increase of his control made him mastering the Rasengan all the better.

Today, Maki took him to a place that was inside Suna's academy. They entered a dimly lit room. Naruto saw that there were five lanterns, each with a different color. Maki ushered him to stand in the middle of the five lanterns. When he did, a seal appeared under him.

"You're come a long way in such a short time so I think that you are ready for this. This is place is called the Sōdaina Yōso-Shitsu. Our future jōnin use this room to learn their chakra affinity."

"Chakra affinity?" Naruto asked.

"Everyone is tuned to a certain element. This room will show us what element will be easier for you to learn and use. The way this works is that you stand in the middle of the lanterns. A seal will appear when you flare your chakra. One of the lanterns will glow brighter than the others. That one lantern will tell us which element you're in tuned with." Maki explained.

"So which is which?" Naruto asked as he stepped in the middle of the lanterns.

"The red flame is fire, the brown flame is earth, the green flame is wind, the blue flame is water and the yellow flame is lightning. Now that we have that explained, let's begin." Maki said. Naruto nodded and placed his hands in a seal. He flared his chakra, his chakra becoming visible. The seal glowed and Maki had to block her eyes. She struggled to look at the lanterns and was shocked at what she barely saw. The green flamed lantern shined brighter than the other, lighting up the whole room in a green glow. The red, blue and brown flames were glowing as well but just not as bright. What was really amazing was that the yellow flame was completely out.

"OK Naruto, that's enough!" Maki called out. Naruto stopped and the flames returned to normal. Maki was rubbing the spots out of her eyes. Naruto blinked a few times before facing her.

"So, am I going to learn some jutsu?" Naruto asked.

_**X X X**_

"WHAT?" a councilman exclaimed.

"Calm yourself!" ordered the head speaker. He turned back to Maki. "Are you sure about this Maki?"

"Even though I could barely see, the room was lit by the green flame. Naruto has one of the strongest affinities to wind that I have ever seen, greater than Baki-sama and Temari-san." Maki reported. This caused a murmur throughout the council room. "What are my orders sir?"

"Continue to train him as we have said. Start him on learning to control his wind affinity and show him some lower wind jutsu." the head speaker said. Maki bowed and left the council room. One councilman looked at the head speaker.

"Do you believe that was wise?" he asked.

"That boy remains me of how Gaara is when he came in here asking to be a part of the Seiki Butai. It is the same look that he has. Also, should he go out into the world and become big, we would be credited with his growth. It is something that we can use in the future." he said with a laugh.

_**X X X**_

Another two months had passed. Naruto watch the sunset from the roof of his temporary home. The setting sun was a beautiful thing to watch. Naruto would watch it sometimes back in Konoha, on the Hokage monument. Thinking of his old village did not depress him any more. Suna was a better home than Konoha ever was.

His four months in Sunagakure no Sato, he had mad friends with several shinobi and civilians. He even was a friend with elder Chiyo. She acted like she wanted to kill him because of the few pranks he pulled but he knew that she loved him. He even got to know the Sabuka sibling a little better. He supported Gaara's dream of becoming Kazekage and felt that he would do his village proud. Kankuro was a closet pervert and he made it his mission to expose him at every turn. Temari's crush on Shikamaru was a surprise. She threaten him with bodily harm should that information should ever get out. They learned each others dreams and goals. He felt like he was a part of their family.

His training had picked up and he was more confident in himself. His tactics were border-lining the intelligence of Shikamaru. His chakra control, basics, Taijutsu and mastery of the Rasengan were at chūnin level. He could detect Genjutsu better and had a way to dispel them which need a bit more work. He had learned two new jutsu, the Fūton: Daitoppa and the Fūton: Reppūshō, bot C-rank jutsu. Maki even taught him how to make seals and basic fūinjutsu. Maki was impressed by how quickly he learned it.

He was growing stronger and living a stress free life. He would sometimes, mentally, thank the council for their decision. Those bastards actually did right by him. He was missing Konoha less and less.

"Yo Naruto!" a voice shouted. Naruto looked down to see Kankuro.

"Hey, what's up?" Naruto asked.

"Get dress in some good clothes and come to our house." Kankuro ordered.

"What's going on?" Naruto asked.

"You'll see. Just hurry up and get there. You know how Temari is angry." Kankuro informed him. Naruto did know how violent she was. He quickly ran to put on some clean clothes.

_**X X X**_

Naruto was dressed in white and black and took a sip of his juice. He listened to Matsuri talk about her day while Temari was decorating up the place. Kankuro was arguing with her about something that he could not here. He thought that this was a pretty nice gesture by Temari and Kankuro. He wondered if Gaara would be really surprised by what was about to happen. He had mellowed out some so he had to smile when he came through that door.

Temari could hear Baki talking and shut everyone up. The room was made dark and everyone hid. It would be a few seconds later when the door opened and the lights were turned on. Everyone popped up from their hiding spots.

"Surprise! Happy Birth..." they were all cut off when they found themselves encased in sand. Gaara realized who he was about to crush and also noticed that the place was decorated. He saw the banner the read 'Happy Birthday Gaara'.

"You did this for me?" Gaara asked in surprise.

"Yeah Gaara, this is all for you. We figured that we can make up for all the others. So, can you let us go now? There's cake there for you?" Temari said nervously.

"Chocolate?" Temari nodded at the question and Gaara released them all. As they dusted themselves off, Kankuro had to add in his two cents toward his sister.

"Oh yeah, brilliant idea Temari! 'Let's surprise him'," He mocked. "I almost wet myself, damn it! I told you that it would happen!"

"Bite me Kankuro!" Temari hissed. Naruto, Baki and Matsuri just chuckled at the arguing siblings while Gaara eyed the chocolate cake.

_**X X X X X**_

_**Glossary**_

_**Densetsu no Sannin**_ – Legendary Three Ninja

_**Gama Sennin**_ – Toad Hermit

_**Sōdaina Yōso-Shitsu**_ – Grand Element Chamber

_**Seiki Butai**_ - Regular Forces

_**Techniques**_

_**Fūton: Daitoppa**_ – Wind Release: Great Breakthrough - This is a relatively simple technique that creates a sudden gust of wind, but its scale varies greatly depending on the user. If used by a superior shinobi, it has enough destructive power to knock down a large tree. The wind from the squall can blow away all things in the user's line of sight.

_**Fūton: Reppūshō**_ – Wind Release: Violent Wind Palm - A simple technique that when the users hands are clapped together, wind is compressed and transformed into a powerful gale. This technique, when used as an isolated attack has the power to easily knock over a human. Though the true value comes from using it together with projectile weapons like shuriken or kunai. Their speed, power, and ability to wound or even kill are all increased several times.


	4. Chapter 3

_**Chapter 3**_

Gaara, Temari and Kankuro watched as Baki dueled with Naruto. Both were using a new jutsu created by Naruto. A while back, he asked Baki to explain his Kaze no Yaiba. After explaining and demonstrating the jutsu, Naruto asked why there is no sword made of wind. Baki told him that there was one but a kunai had to be used. Naruto then asked if there was a sword complete made of wind. Baki had no answer to that, thus the Kaze no Ken was born.

Baki brought his sword down onto Naruto's. He blocked it but saw that he was losing his control of his technique. He quickly did the Kawarimi no Jutsu as Baki cut through the log and into the ground. Naruto was taking a breather while Baki undid the jutsu.

"Damn, it still isn't battle ready. Well, at least mine isn't battle ready." Naruto said with a bit of disappointment.

"That's why we practice Uzumaki-san. You have improved and held the Kaze on Ken five minutes longer. A bit more control and you will have it battle ready before you leave." Baki said.

"Still, that was a creative idea. A sword completely made of wind, why hasn't anyone thought of that?" Kankuro asked.

"Yeah and what makes it effective is that it's barely visible. Unless you have the Byakugan or Sharingan, you're dead. You have a destructive mind Uzumaki." Temari said.

"You forget, I am a prankster and our minds must be creative. A creative mind is a destructive mind." Naruto spoke.

"So, was it you who painted our Kazekage statues and stink bombed one of our councilman's home?" Baki asked.

"I was not aware of such transgressions. Trust me, I'm just here train and get stronger. My pranking days are over." Naruto said with a straight face.

"Uzumaki!" a voice shouted. They all turned to see several shinobi. Kankuro wanted to fall over laughing at the sight. The angry Suna-nin was wearing orange colored turbans. They were snarling at the grinning blond. He turned back to the Sabaku siblings and their sensei.

"Would you look at the time? I'll see you guys later." Naruto said and bolted. The Suna-nin was hot on his heels. After a while, Kankuro fell over laughing while Temari chuckled, Baki sighed and Gaara looked uninterested.

"Oh man… that guy… he's so entertaining!" Kankuro gasped out between laughs.

* * *

><p>Eight months had come and gone. Today was the day that Naruto would depart Sunagakure no Sato. The fourteen year old blond was sporting brown baggy pants and a red jersey over chainmail. His ankles and wrists were wrapped in bandages. His pouch was filled with weapons and his kunai holster was on his thigh. Everything was covered with a cloak that matched the sand. It came with a hood.<p>

Maki, Baki, Chiyo, Kankuro, Temari and Gaara were at the entrance of the village to bid him well.

"I can't believe eight months have passed already." Temari said.

"Yeah, I wish it was longer but I've improved much in that time." Naruto said.

"So, where to next?" asked Baki.

"Takigakure no Sato is my next destination. I figure that I could learn some Suiton jutsu there. Plus it would nice to see Shibuki and those kids again." Naruto informed.

"So you're just going to keep training?" Kankuro asked.

"Until I'm sure that I can hang with the Akatsuki, I think that's best." Naruto answered again. Gaara stepped forward and held out his hand. Naruto was surprised but grabbed the hand. The two shook hands before releasing.

"Know that you always have a home here." Gaara said to him.

"Thanks Gaara. Anytime, anywhere, you need me and I'll be there." Naruto stated. With that said, Naruto threw the hood over his head. They watched as Naruto walked through the desert. Moments later, Naruto's form became a part of the desert.

* * *

><p>Naruto was about two days away from the entrance to Takigakure no Sato. He traveled through Tori no Kuni where he learned that Konoha had liberated it from some ninja. After that stop, he entered Kusachi no Kuni. He stayed away from Kusagakure as they were allies of Konoha. He kept up his training whenever he rested. He was thinking about his old friend Shibuki and wonder what the young leader was doing right now. He hoped that he was able to help him with his training.<p>

He walked on a road toward a bridge that connected Kusachi no Kuni and Mori no Kuni. He looked around and saw a forest animal run across his way. He continued to walk when the same animal ran across him again. This gave Naruto pause. His teachings with Maki taught him how to recognize a Genjutsu. One way was called the déjà vu effect. If something happened the same way as before, you were in a Genjutsu.

Naruto slammed his hands together and sent a wave of chakra over the area. That's when the area shimmered and two figures appeared on each side of the road. Naruto was instantly on guard when he saw who it was.

"The little brat has improved Itachi. He figured out your Genjutsu pretty quickly." Kisame said.

"So it seems." Itachi spoke. He faced Naruto who had out a kunai. "It seems that Konoha has abandoned you Naruto. Without Jiraiya, you have no other option but to come with us."

"Oh I have many other options but how they you find out about my banishment?" Naruto asked.

"It was pretty easy, even for me." Kisame said with a grin. "Suna places an embargo on Konoha and without reason. We know that you and the Shukaku jinchūriki are very good friends. Then we learned that Nami no Kuni and Yuki no Kuni disbanding their trades with Hi no Kuni. Weren't they countries you did missions in? I guess it finally came full circle when we ran into that samurai who spilled his guts to Itachi about what you did to his little brother. That was some nice work kid."

"I told him that I would break his bones if he didn't surrender. So, what can I do or say that would have you fine gentlemen go along on your way?" Naruto asked.

"Ha, the kid's has gotten a sense of humor. Let me tell you a joke as well. I'm going to share your legs off." Kisame said with glee. Naruto knew that it was an escape. He quickly threw several balls in the air which exploded, creating a thick cloud of smoke. From out of the smoke, several clones appeared. They scattered in different directions while Naruto booked it across the bridge. As he made it half way across, Itachi cut him off. The two faced each other.

"Retreating, that is so unlike you Naruto. It seems that you have learned more than just how to detect Genjutsu." Itachi commented. Naruto just growled at the Uchiha elder. He quickly threw some shuriken at him, followed by hand seals.

"Fūton: Reppūshō!" Naruto called out. The speed of the shuriken increased. Itachi countered with his own shuriken, stopping the fast moving projectiles. He suddenly caught sight of something and quickly dodged. Whatever it was, it almost cut into him. His cloak was torn. Itachi looked to see Naruto fall back into his stance. Kisame appeared next to him. He looked at Itachi's robe and gave a small whistle.

"Wow, he almost clipped you. I thought you stopped those shurikens?" Kisame asked.

"It wasn't his shuriken. He threw something else after his first jutsu. I only caught a glimpse of it with my Sharingan." Itachi said. He stepped forward and faced Naruto. "Stay back Kisame, I will retrieve Naruto." This surprised the swordsman but he did not argue. He took a step back and watched. Naruto prepared himself. He knew that fighting Itachi would be suicide. He needed to escape now.

Itachi looked at him some more before quickly doing hand seals. The speed was unreal as it didn't take Itachi long to finish. He took a deep breath.

"Katon: Hōsenka Tsumabeni." Itachi said and spat out burning shuriken at Naruto. Naruto quickly did some seals.

"Fūton: Senpūken!" Naruto shouted and thrust his fist forward. He knew that wind fed fire but this technique was best as it knocked the flaming shuriken off-course and into the water.

"Impressive Naruto," Itachi's voice said from behind. Naruto lashed out with a kick but Itachi slapped it away and backhanded him. Naruto quickly rolled to his feet and moved out of the way of Itachi's follow-up attack. A one-sided fight occurred with Itachi pushing the pace and Naruto on the defensive. Naruto got some distance and used his main jutsu.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Naruto called out and six clones appeared. He then did some seal and looked at Kisame. "Kaze no Yari!" Naruto said and threw something at the blue skinned swordsman. Itachi saw it and was very concerned.

"Kisame, move." Itachi warned him. Kisame did as he was told and moved. He was nicked in the shoulder by something invisible. Naruto sped right pass him and continued toward the other end. He was stopped by Itachi who grabbed him and slammed him down. Naruto activated his Kaze no Ken and beheaded Itachi who dispelled. Naruto didn't think about it and looked ready to run but Itachi appeared in front of him again. Naruto cursed and readied himself with the Kaze no Ken. Itachi just looked at Naruto's hands and saw the sword.

'_A sword made completely of wind, I can only see it with my Sharingan activate. So he has been preparing to fight us.'_ Itachi thought. Kisame growled at Naruto and reached for his sword.

"Why you little…" Kisame began.

"Enough Kisame, I will deal with this. You have impressed me with your skills Naruto but it is time to end this." Itachi spoke seriously. Naruto prepared himself but he quickly had the air leave him. Itachi then brought his elbow down on his back. Itachi flipped Naruto over to his back and held Naruto's hand down. Naruto saw Itachi's eyes begin to morph and Naruto closed his eyes. Itachi saw this and caused Naruto some pain. It became too much and Naruto forced his eyes open. Naruto stared into the eyes of the Mangekyo. "Tsukuyomi."

* * *

><p>Naruto found himself held by chains. He noticed that the place was illuminated by a red moon. Itachi appeared before him again. With a wave of his hand, barbwire appeared and wrapped around Naruto. The wire tightens, making Naruto hiss in pain.<p>

This is the world of Tsukuyomi Naruto. This world is controlled by me. You will experience seventy-two hours of pain but only seconds will pass by. Prepare yourself." Itachi spoke and slowly closed his hand the barbwire cut and dug into the blond. Naruto screamed loudly and wished for it to end. It did not stop and Itachi continued his torture, Naruto looked ready to give up and allow the pain to take him. Suddenly, the moon was overshadowed by red. Itachi was very confused until he found himself in front of the cage that held the Kyuubi. The fox looked at Itachi with a grin before sneering at Naruto.

"**Foolish boy, again you prove to be weak!**" The Kyuubi mocked. He returned his gaze back at Itachi. "**You may not have his eyes but I will not take that chance! Your Interference has given me the chance to do this! Consider this my THANKS!**" There was a sudden rush of demon chakra that came out of the cage. It consumed Naruto and sent Itachi flying.

Itachi cried out in pain and jumped away from Naruto. The blonds' eyes

* * *

><p>flashed open and he unleashed a priminal roar. Itachi looked at the purple dome that surrounded the blond. He was then caught unaware as something burst out of the dome. It latched onto him. Itachi and Kisame were very surprised to see Naruto's transformation. His skin was blood red and he had four tails whipping around. He looked like a miniature version of the Kyuubi.<p>

The beast gave Itachi a smile before clamping down on Itachi's left arm. He easily broke the arm and ripped it off his body. Itachi was too shocked to scream. Blood sprayed everywhere and stained the bridge. Naruto raised his clawed hand to finish off the elder Uchiha when he was struck from behind. He was sent flying to the other end of the bridge, bouncing several times and landing in a heap. Kisame quickly raised Itachi off the ground. The swordsman looked to see Naruto in his one tailed state. He watched at the boy looked at them with rage in his eyes.

They watched as two tails sprouted for the cloak and skin began to peel off. Kisame readied himself when Itachi closed his left eye and his right eye began to bleed.

"Amaterasu!" Itachi called out. Naruto was suddenly consumed by black fire. The explosion destroyed the bridge. Kisame lifted Itachi up and ran toward the other side. With the last remaining of his strength, he ended the technique and saved Naruto. The blond hit the water below but did not surface. Kisame laid Itachi down against a tree and ripped off his robe. Kisame got to work, attempting to stop the blood flow.

"Hang on Itachi; I can use Samehada to slow the bleeding." Kisame said with urgency.

"I was careless… in handling… the Kyuubi…" Itachi said softly. "I believe… that my actions… have weakened… the seal. We… must tell… the leader…" He said as he lost consciousness. Kisame cursed and stopped the blood as best as he could. He picked Itachi up and made his way to the hideout, hoping that Itachi would survive.

Two people were on a boat a few feet away from the shore. One of them was a man in his late forties. He had a muscular build for a man his age. The other was a teenager who had a similar build only more skinny. They sat in the boat, their fishing net in the water.

"I don't know why you're ignoring this uncle. We should get Aisha and move. You can't tell me that your not worried about what's happening in Iwagakure." The teen said.

"Listen kid, we can't just up and leave. This is our home. Besides, we are very well hidden thanks to Ibarra. Now, stop your whining and help me with the net." He ordered. They began to pull the net up and found it a little heavy. They pulled their catch up and something moved. That something turned out to be a very injured and badly burnt blond haired boy. They both looked at each other. They both wondered what the hell happened to this kid.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Authors' Notes<strong>_: I know it's short but this is where I felt it should end. I change a bit of the chapter and I'm glad I made those changes. I enjoyed writing this chapter very much.

_**Techniques**_

_**Kaze no Ken**_ – Sword of Wind – A technique created by Uzumaki Naruto. A sword that is completely made of wind. The blade is barely visible and super sharp. Only those with bloodlines can see the sword. It can be wielded with one hand or two hands.

_**Fūton: Reppūshō**_ – Wind Release: Gale Palm - A simple technique that when the user's hands are clapped together, wind is compressed and transformed into a powerful gale. This technique, when used as an isolated attack has the power to easily knock over a human. Though the true value comes from using it together with projectile weapons like shuriken or kunai. Their speed, power, and ability to wound or even kill are all increased several times.

_**Katon: Hōsenka Tsumabeni**_ – Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Flower Nail Crimson - The user unleashes a volley of shuriken with one hand, while at the same time exhaling fire-infused chakra onto them in order to increase the weapons' destructive potential by making them capable of inflicting severe burns upon direct contact with either the intended victim or any other object caught within their trajectories. Due to the chakra-based nature of the flames that surround them, the shuriken will continue to burn after impact, regardless of the flammability of the object that they ultimately collide with.

_**Fūton: Senpūken**_ – Wind Release: Whirlwind Fist – A punch that releases a giant, adaptable whirlwind.

_**Kaze no Yari**_ – Spear of Wind – A technique created by Uzumaki Naruto. Naruto forms a javelin-like spear which he can throw. The technique can go through almost anything in its path.

_**Glossary**_

_**Takigakure no Sato**_ – Village Hidden in a Waterfall

_**Tori no Kuni**_ – Land of Birds

_**Kusachi no Kuni**_ – Land of Grass Field

_**Mori no Kuni**_ – Land of Forests


	5. Chapter 4

_**Chapter 4**_

Naruto only saw flashes and shadows with each blink of his eyes. He could hear several voices but just barely. He could feel several hands on his body. He couldn't stop it as his body would not respond to his commands. He finally gave up and allowed the darkness to claim him.

* * *

><p>Naruto finally woke up. His body was still a wreck as he could not move, not even his neck. All he could see was a wooden ceiling and ceiling fan. He groaned as he hadn't been in such pain. The last time was the mission to bring back Sasuke.<p>

He groan did alert someone in the room. The female learned over to check on him. Naruto couldn't help but notice that she was very pretty. Her aquamarine eyes held warmth to them and her purple hair flowed like water. She looked at him with a bit of surprise.

"Wow, you shinobi heal pretty fast." She said. Naruto mumbled something incoherent which she understood.

"You're in a village that is in Tsuchi no Kuni. You've been in bed for about four days. You were pretty burnt up. Did you get into some kind of battle?" she asked. Naruto mumbled again and the girl nodded at him. "I wouldn't try moving. I'm going to get the old crone." The girl left his view and left.

Alone again, Naruto watched the ceiling for a few moments. After that, the girl returned with an elder woman. He could see that she aged quite well. She had red hair that was tied in braids. She has purple colored eyes. He could see the top of kimono which was sky blue. Her hands glowed green and she moved them across his body.

"Well, this is quite impressive. Most of your surface wounds are completely healed. You still won't be able to move around for another day or so, but your healing ability is remarkable. Let's take these bandages off your face so you can talk." She said. She carefully un-wrapped the bandages off his face. It took a while but his face was finally revealed. The purple haired girl blushed a little when she saw his face. The elderly woman saw this as well.

"Like what you see Aisha?" the woman teased. The girl blushed brightly and quickly left. The woman chuckled before turning her attention toward Naruto. "A cute girl but a little too easy to tease. So, who are you?"

"My name… is Uzumaki Naruto." He said with a raspy voice. The red haired woman raised an eyebrow.

"You don't say? I recognized that seal on your gut as an Uzumaki type of seal but I didn't think you were an Uzumaki." She noticed that Naruto looked very confused. "Didn't you know that the Uzumaki were a clan?" she asked him.

"The old man… never told me… about my… parents. He… was… the… Sandaime… Hokage…" Naruto coughed harshly, cutting off his speech. The woman placed a small bowl of water to his lips. He took a few sips and sighed in relief. The woman looked at Naruto with a calculating eye. She then gave him a smile.

"Well then, Uzumaki Naruto, my name is Uzumaki Ibarra." Naruto looked at her with surprise. "It's very good to meet you."

* * *

><p>It would be two days later when Naruto could sit up. Aisha was there to help him. Ibarra was standing in the corner. Naruto winced a bit but he was happy to have movement with his body.<p>

"So Naruto, tell us what happened to you?" Ibarra asked.

"I'm on a training journey to improve my skills. After eight months in Kaze no Kuni, I was making my way to Mori no Kuni when I was confronted by two missing-nin attacked me. I tried to escape but they were much better than me. After the hit me with a Genjutsu, I can't remember anything after that." Naruto explained.

"Could the Genjutsu have messed with your memory?" asked Aisha.

"Maybe but I don't think so. I really can't explain it but I think that it is something else that is blocking my memory." Naruto explained.

Either way, you seem to be healing well. It is actually quite weird." Ibarra said.

"What are you talking about, you crone? You're almost sixty years old. You barely get sick, you heal from cuts pretty quickly and you move like someone who is in their twenties." Aisha commented.

"As I have told you many times, we of the Uzumaki are blessed with long life spans. With our longetivity, we barely get sick and have an accelerated healing factor. While Naruto here is an Uzumaki, his healing ability is still impressive." Ibarra said.

"I meant to ask you about that. The Uzumaki were a clan?" Naruto asked.

"Yes, we were a clan. We are actually the distant cousins of the Senju clan. We use to rule the village of Uzushiogakure no Sato. We were also called the village of longetivity because we can have very long life spans. Our greatest skill was fūinjutsu. It was also the reason that we were destroyed." Ibarra spoke.

"Our clan was destroyed because of our skill in fūinjutsu?" Naruto asked in confusion.

"Don't underestimate the power of seals. With a few seals, you can contain anything. You can wipe out complete armies with fūinjutsu. You said that you're from Konoha right? Your Yondaime's Hiraishin no Jutsu was a product of fūinjutsu." She explained.

"No way, that sounds really cool. So why were we destroyed and by who?" Naruto asked.

"Like I said, fūinjutsu was our greatest skill but it made us a target. It also didn't help that we were allies of Konohagakure. Because of this, we were attacked constantly. Despite our numbers, we beat back any opposition. That came to end. We were attacked by two shinobi with strange eyes. They unleashed a wave of destruction before Kirigakure did the mop up. It was horrible. Those that escaped were scattered throughout the world." Ibarra explained.

"I never knew that I hand a clan. There was never any other Uzumaki but me in Konoha." Naruto said.

"Are you sure? There was a girl we sent called Kushina to Konoha. It was for a special mission that was requested by Konoha. The Shodaime Hokage was married to an Uzumaki as well." Ibarra said.

"I don't understand why the old man never told me about my clan. I always asked but he would always dodge the questions." Naruto said, a little angry and sad at the betrayal. Aisha felt sorry for him. Ibarra watched Naruto carefully. She suddenly stood and stretched.

"Well, I'm going to let you rest. I'll check on you later day. Come on Aisha, unless you want to know how toned he is." She said with a chuckle.

"Shut up, you old crone!" Aisha shouted and stormed off. Ibarra kept chuckling and left the room. She took a few steps before she was confronted by a young man. He was flanked by two older men. They looked more like body guards than advisors. Ibarra groaned a little when she saw him.

"Tōsen, what an unpleasant surprise. What can I do for the village leader today?" Ibarra asked with distain. Tōsen was the only son of the old village leader. While he was also a pain, his son was a bigger pain. He was a greedy, smug little bug. He loved money, power and Aisha. It was probably the third reason why he was here.

"Whatever, you old crone. Where is Aisha?" Tōsen demanded.

"You just missed her. You know, she may have a sixth sense about when you show up because she took off." Ibarra said with mirth.

"You think that you're funny? Don't forget that you're only in the village because of my graces." Tōsen snarled.

"Keep believing that, it may come true." Ibarra mocked, making Tōsen glare at her. He regained himself and gave Ibarra a serious look.

"How much longer is that boy going to be here?" he demanded.

"Why do you want to know?" she asked.

"I'm neither blind nor stupid." Ibarra snorted at him. "He's a shinobi and I don't wish any trouble from Iwagakure should they make their way here after things settle down." Tōsen said.

"Well then, don't tell them anything. Your father showed you how to right?" Ibarra asked.

"You know what's happening in the village! Just get him healed and get him gone!" Tōsen ordered. He spun on his heels and left with his entourage. Ibarra ignored the little cretin. He was just like his childish father. They were nothing more than bullies. Stand up to them and they fall like leaves. She had more things to worry about. The thing at the top of her mind was Naruto.

There was a familiar feeling she got off the boy. She couldn't really pinpoint it but it was there. It was the same feeling that she received from Kushina when she visited from time to time. She chuckled a little as she was always with the spiky haired blond. It was so fun to tease her about liking him. This was before Uzushiogakure was destroyed.

Thinking of that blond boy with Kushina, he and Naruto did have similar features. He had a small resemblance to Kushina as well. Did Kushina marry the boy, Minato? Did they have a child together? Was Naruto that child? It wasn't as if Kushina could get a word out to any Uzumaki as everyone scattered. If Naruto was Kushina's child, why wasn't he told?"

"There were too many questions and not enough answers. She would have those answers tonight when she observed the boy.

* * *

><p>Naruto was in the sewers again. It had been a while since he came here. He pretty much decided to avoid coming here all together. He now getting stronger on his own and did not need the Kyuubi. Still, there had to be a reason for him to be here. He decided to see what the stupid fox wanted. He made his way to its cage. As he neared the cage, he couldn't help but wonder why he was feeling uneasy. He entered the room and what he saw, shocked him greatly.<p>

The Kyuubi was out of it cage or rather part of him. His eyes, nose and fangs were attached to red, bubbly foam. He looked at the blond with a grin.

"_**Welcome, my warden! Do you like what you see?**_" the Kyuubi asked.

"How... What the hell is going on?" Naruto asked in shock.

"_**This is because of you! Your weakness forced me to step in! The result is what you see here!**_" the Kyuubi explained with a sarcastic tone. Seeing that Naruto was still shocked and confused, he continued to speak. "_**To simplify it for your tiny brain, I will soon be free!**_"

"Not a chance, you stupid fox! I won't let you leave!" Naruto exclaimed.

"_**Foolish child, there is nothing you can do! Your Yondaime's seal couldn't last forever! Perhaps that fool should have chosen someone stronger to hold me!**_" the Kyuubi mocked. Naruto was getting angry at the fox. This made the fox smile. '_**That's it, you fool! Get angry and weaken the seal further!**_'

"You need to calm yourself Naruto. You're playing right into the Kyuubi's hands." A voice said. Both turned to see Ibarra. The woman walked up and stood in front of Naruto. "So you're the Kyuubi? I thought you would be bigger."

"_**Who the hell are you?**_"

"I don't think that's any of your business." She said. She turned to Naruto. "Come on boy, we have much to discuss." Ibarra took Naruto by his shoulder and led him away.

"_**Don't turn your back on me!**_" the Kyuubi roared. He launched his claw at the two. Ibarra did a single seal and a large yellow circle appeared and blacked the attack. The symbol in the middle had the kanji word 'shield'. Naruto was amazed while Ibarra turned to face the fox. She gave the stunned demon and glare.

"That was so unwise. I think you need a time out." Ibarra said with dangerous tones. The yellow shield shot forward at the bubbly form. It popped all of them and pushed the Kyuubi's chakra back into the cage. Ibarra said 'fuin' and the cage glowed. The Kyuubi attempted to push its chakra out but found that he couldn't. He roared in rage.

"_**DAMN YOU UZUMAKI AND YOUR CLAN! I WILL SEE YOU AND THE UCHIHA DEAD!**_" Ibarra scoffed and grabbed Naruto's shoulder again. They were gone in a white light.

Naruto awoke with a start. He saw that he was back in the room. As he attempted to catch himself, a cough alerted him to someone in the room. He looked up to see Ibarra. She stood with her arms folded and her face very stern.

"Well, this was a very exciting night. I'll let you get back to sleep and we can talk tomorrow. We will discuss why the Kyuubi no Yoko is sealed within you." That said, Ibarra left the room. Naruto just sighed as he laid back on the mat. He wasn't going to get much sleep tonight.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Authors' Notes<strong>_: A new chapter is here. Enjoy.

_**Glossary**_

_**Tsuchi no Kuni**_ – Land of Earth


	6. Chapter 5

_**Chapter 5**_

The next morning found Naruto sitting up, facing Ibarra. She still had that stern look form yesterday. The atmosphere was very serious. Naruto knew that he would have to come clean on some things and explain the Kyuubi in his stomach.

Ibarra sighed and looked at him.

"Any time you're ready." Ibarra said.

"The day of my birth, the Kyuubi no Yoko attacked the village of Konohagakure no Sato." Ibarra did not show her surprise at that. "Knowing that he could not kill the fox, the Yondaime Hokage sealed him within me." Naruto explained.

"Okay that explains the fox but wouldn't Konohagakure keep you within their walls? Why were you traveling around without a sensei or guard?" Ibarra asked. At this, Naruto sighed sadly.

"I was banished." Ibarra did show her surprise this time. "A year and some months ago, my former teammate, Uchiha Sasuke, defected from Konoha. I and others went after him. We were successful but because of the condition he was in, they feared that the Kyuubi was influencing me." He explained.

"Well that was stupid. Has Konohagakure changed that much?" Ibarra asked. It was a question that did not need to be answered. "So, how did your seal weaken to such a degree? I'm guessing that you were forced to use the Kyuubi's power against your former teammate but even so it shouldn't have weakened that much. Whoever your Yondaime was, he was a genius."

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked.

"Sealed inside you is the 'yang' of the Kyuubi. The Yondaime must have sealed away the 'yin' somewhere else. Truly, he was a master of seals. Still, while the Hakke no Fūin Shiki is just two combined Shishō Fūin, it should not have weakened so severely. What happened?" she demanded.

"I wasn't lying when I told you about the ambush. What I omitted was that the two that attacked me were S-rank missing-nin from the Akatsuki." Seeing a questioning gaze on her face, he further explained himself. "The Akatsuki are a group of missing-nin, mostly S-rank, that are after the jinchūriki for their Buji."

"Well that sounds ominous. Keep going," she said.

"I tried escaping but I was forced to fight. I got caught in a Genjutsu. Then I heard the Kyuubi and everything else is a blank." He finished. Ibarra stood in silence. She already guessed what could have happened. In a moment of weakness, the Kyuubi took over and he forced more chakra out that the seal could not handle. She had only heard stories of that happening, most of those stories coming from Kaminari no Kuni.

Still, there were still so many unanswered questions. The most important one of all was what the hell happened to Kushina's seal? There was a reason that she was chosen to hold the Kyuubi. His chakra was special and she had the ability to hold down the Kyuubi, just like the Shodaime Hokage's wife, Uzumaki Mito. The only way Kushina's seal could have weakened was if someone tampered with it or during childbirth.

Ibarra gave Naruto a sharp look. Naruto shrunk back from the gaze.

"You really have no idea who your parents are? Where there any records of any Uzumaki other than you?"

"No. Sandaime-jiji would always change the subject and the libraries in Konoha wouldn't let me in." Naruto answered. That just made her even more frustrated. Whoever the Sandaime was, was a complete idiot. Could this boy really be the son of Kushina? Who did she marry? Who messed with her seal? There were too many damn questions. Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted when Naruto was kneeling in front of her. She quirked an eyebrow at him.

"Well now, what is this about?" she asked

"I beg you for your help. Please teach me the ways of our clan. Please teach me Fūinjutsu." Naruto begged. Ibarra looked at him seriously.

"Why should I? You don't look like the type who has the patience to learn such an art. It would be a waste of time." She said.

"Please, I need you to teach me! I can't fail the Yondaime!" Naruto shouted.

"The Yondaime, why would you fail him? Isn't he the reason you're in this mess?" Ibarra asked.

"Yeah, he made my life hell but he chose me to shoulder this burden. He placed his trust in me and I refuse to disappoint him. I will now allow the Kyuubi to get free and I will not fail him." Naruto said with conviction. Ibarra was stunned at the determination in his eyes. She closed her eyes and a smile broke out.

"Why not, it could be fun. Besides, it's kind of embarrassing that you know nothing of your heritage. We will begin your history and learning very soon. If you will excuse me, I have an annoying issue to deal with." Ibarra said. She left a happy Naruto who was cheering. Ibarra could help but smile some more.

'_He is definitely your son, my cute little niece. I promise to help him complete his goal. We are family after all.'_

* * *

><p>"Absolutely not! I told you to heal him and get rid of him!" Tōsen shouted.<p>

"Oh come on, I just asking you to extend his stay. It will only be for a year." Ibarra said non-chantantly.

"You're not hearing me hag! I want him gone!" Tōsen stated.

"Maybe you're not hearing me. Let's not forget, the reason Iwagakure hasn't found us and demanding the back taxes you owe the daimyo." Ibarra said.

"Are you threatening me? What about the villagers that love you so much?" he sneered.

"Who said I would leave them to a mercy that you richly deserve? I can easily get them to follow me out of the village and into another land. How will you explain it to the daimyo or Tsuchikage?" Ibarra asked mockingly. Tōsen clenched his fists in anger.

"Fine but mark my words, I will get you this!" Tōsen promised.

"Fine, whatever, just don't bother me and the boy while we're working." Ibarra said dismissively. She walked out, leaving Tōsen in a boiling rage. His father should have gotten rid of her the minute she became a problem. It was one of the reasons he 'dealt' with his father. Even after that, she was still a thorn in his side.

He had to find a way to deal with her. He sat down and began to plot.

* * *

><p>Naruto had to blink a few times. He looked at the pyramid of scrolls. Ibarra just watched the confusion on his with a smile.<p>

"Uh, what are all these scrolls?" Naruto asked.

"Well, you asked for training so this is where we will begin. Start from the top and make your way down." Ibarra explained. Naruto looked at the pile with a groan. Ibarra chuckled at his childish behavior. "Listen Naruto, in order to fix your seal, you need to learn the basic symbols and theories. I will check your current seal and see if it's salvageable. While I'm checking on your seal, you will be studying and creating seals. At the end of the week, I'll quiz you."

"What, a quiz? Come on!" Naruto whined.

"Oh stop your complaining, you want to make the Yondaime Hokage proud right? Man up and get studying." Ibarra said. She left the grumbling blond alone with the scrolls.

* * *

><p>Naruto stood outside Ibarra's home with a scroll in hand. It had been a week since he began learning under Ibarra. She had given him the rest of the day off after his quiz. That brought a sour frown on his face. The damn woman just finished dissing him. He was use to being berated but being laughed at for ten minutes was a bit over the top. After she regained herself, she did tell him that he was very creative.<p>

Either way, he was beginning to like fūinjutsu. He liked the applications that it could be used fore. If he had learned fūinjutsu when he was younger, his pranks would have been awesome. He couldn't wait to learn more. Then he would show Ibarra, the sarcastic old bitch.

That same woman checked his seal. As it was now, the only way to repair the original seal was with a key. Apparently, the Yondaime created one in case the seal ever weakened. Naruto guessed that Ero-Sennin had it. He considered summoning Gamakichi but stopped himself. He knew that it would give up his whereabouts.

In all, it was a productive week. He couldn't wait for next week to come around.

* * *

><p>Two more weeks passed and Naruto was given the day off. He was walking around the village. He was wearing a pair of brown sandals, brown baggy pants, a cream button-up shirt and a mesh shirt under the shirt. His ankles and wrists were wrapped with bandages. He looked like a villager.<p>

As he walked around, he noticed that he was being watched. Ibarra warned him that he would be under observation by the village's leader. He was curious about why but did not pry.

"Hey!" a voice called out. Naruto looked around to see a young man with an older man. Naruto pointed to himself. "Yeah, I'm talking to you." The young man said. He and the older guy made his way over to him. Both of them seem to have a family resemblance. They were now in front of him.

"Can I help you guys with something?" Naruto asked.

"Nah, I just wanted to meet the guy my little sister been crushing on." The teen said with mirth.

"Sister?" Naruto asked in confusion. The older of the two smacked him up-side the head.

"That's enough Musashi, stop saying stupid things about your sister." He said. He turned to Naruto. "My name is Tetsuo and this is my nephew, Musashi. His sister is Aisha."

"Aisha is your sister?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah, she can't stop talking about…" Musashi was cut off again by another smack.

"Anyway, can we ask you for your help? We need another person to help us with fishing today. Aisha mentioned that you were much stronger now." Tetsuo said.

"Uh, sure, I don't mind helping but I'm not much of a fisherman." Naruto said.

"Don't worry about it. We'll teach you how." Musashi said and lead the young blond with his and his uncle.

* * *

><p>"I'm so sorry that my family roped you into helping them. My brother is such and ass." Aisha said. The purple haired girl was walking next to Naruto. She was bringing lunch to her brother and uncle when she saw Naruto working with them. She immediately demanded an explanation and her uncle gave her one. After kicking Musashi in the shin for trying to embarrass her, she dragged Naruto away.<p>

"It's really okay Aisha. I was just being helpful. You have been helping heal, so it is the least I can do." Naruto said.

"Trust me; the old crone isn't one to hand out days off. You should enjoy it when it comes." Aisha said. Naruto just chuckled at her. Their discussion was cut off by a voice. Naruto noticed Aisha cringed. He was about to ask what was wrong when he was pushed onto the ground. He looked up to see two large men between himself and Aisha. He then looked to see the nineteen year old Tōsen.

My dear Aisha-chan, why is it that you keep avoiding my summons?" Tōsen asked softly.

"Probably because I know what you're planning. I have made myself very clear on your advances and you have ignored them." Aisha said hotly.

"But I can make your life much better than it is. Don't tell me that you enjoy being a lowly fisherman's daughter?" he asked.

"I would rather be a fisherman's daughter than share my life with you! Now please, leave me alone!" Aisha shouted. This was not what Tōsen wanted to hear. He roughly grabbed Aisha's wrist. He was then forced to release it seconds later. He was in pain and looked to see Naruto's hand. It was squeezing his wrist, forcing him to a knee.

"I think she has made her feelings clear." Naruto said in a serious tone.

"How… dare… you…" Tōsen hissed out. He looked to his men to find them on the ground in painful holds by two copies of Naruto. Tōsen glared at Naruto. "You… will… release… me…"

"Not until you apologize." Naruto ordered and squeezed his wrist some more. Tōsen quickly apologized and Naruto released him. He crawled away from the two. He got to his feet quickly. He gave Naruto a glare before running off. Naruto's clones released his men, who also stood and ran. Naruto dispelled his clones and looked at Aisha.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. That was a cool move. Was that one of those Ninjutsu techniques?" Aisha asked excitedly. Naruto just grinned at her.

* * *

><p>"So you put that arrogant prick in his place? Man, Ii wish I was there to see that." Ibarra said. She was serving dinner to herself and Naruto

"It was kind of fun. What's that guy's deal anyway? Why was he trying to force himself onto Aisha?" Naruto asked.

"The little pervert is obsessed with her. She's only fourteen while he's nineteen. Her family and I have kept her safe from his advances. It looks like she has another protector." Ibarra explained.

"Do you think that he will kick me out?" Naruto asked.

"Not a chance. About ninety-five percent of the village hates Tōsen, just like his father."The two began to eat. After a while Naruto spoke again.

"Hey sensei, I may have found something in my scrolls." Naruto said with excitement.

"Oh, do tell." Ibarra said.

"It's called the Tamashī Kyōmei Yūgō. I think,"

"No." Naruto was a bit shocked that she just cut him off like that and shot him down.

"But…"

"I said no. Do you know what the Tamashī Kyōmei Yugo is? It isn't even an Uzumaki technique. Some moron with a god complex attempted to merge with a powerful demon, something that should not have been attempted. It was a forbidden technique that was entrusted to us to keep safe. We will find a better way to keep the Kyuubi in check. I will not hear about this again Naruto and if you skip ahead again, you will not like the consequences. Am I understood?" Ibarra said with seriousness.

"Yeah, I understand. It won't happen again." Naruto said. The two continued to eat in silence.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Authors' Notes<strong>_: This is the final new chapter of three. I can't believe my old laptop is working somewhat. I'm able to type chapters. I still have to get a new computer but this will work for now. If you noticed a couple of things have changed. Don't worry; they are needed changes as I am planning on revamping _Mizukage_. I should have written this first and as I wrote and read _Mizukage_, I noticed some things that had my mind going like 'WTF'. Anyway, I'll be keeping the finished story up as several people on the site use it. Just don't be surprised when you see a story that is similar to _Mizukage_ but under a different name. Anyway, enjoy the new chapters.

_P. S._ – I asked for help in revamping _Mizukage_. I was wondering if those two would please send me your e-mails so we can talk.

_**Glossary**_

_**Konohagakure no Sato**_ – Village Hidden in the Trees.

_**Techniques**_

_**Hakke no Fūin Shiki**_ – Eight Trigrams Sealing Style - The Eight Trigrams Sealing Style, consisting of two Four Symbols Seals, was used by Minato Namikaze to help Naruto Uzumaki access the chakra of the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox sealed within him. To perform the technique, the user must first summon a ceremonial throne and place the target on it. The seal was not automatically visible on Naruto's belly, but became perceptible whenever he drew chakra from the Nine-Tails.

Whenever Naruto and the Nine-Tails conversed, it occurred within Naruto's subconscious, which was depicted as a basement of a boiler room or a sub-level of a power plant, with pipes running across the ceiling and the floor being flooded over with water. On the entrance gate of the Nine-Tails' cage, there was a parchment of paper that said "seal" (封), which covered the lock that kept the Nine-Tails in.

Minato also sealed his and Kushina's remaining chakra into Naruto with this seal. Minato appeared in Naruto's subconscious when Naruto transformed into his eight-tailed form, and restored the seal to its original strength, but he could only do it once. Kushina also appeared and assisted Naruto when he later attempted to control the Nine-Tails.

_**Shishō Fūin**_ – Four Symbols Seal - This is a sealing technique based on the fūinjutsu of Uzushiogakure. The sealing formula is carved into a human body or an object, and is mainly used when a giant enemy or evil spirit needs to be sealed. To use it, it is necessary for the user to have great ability.

When two Four Symbols Seals are used together, they form the Eight Trigrams Sealing Style. When Minato sealed the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox into Naruto Uzumaki, he left an opening at the space where the two four symbols seals meet, allowing the Nine-Tails' chakra to merge with Naruto's chakra. Minato also left behind a key with Gerotora, which would be used to tighten the seal when it weakened. Naruto would eventually use the key to gain control over the Nine-Tails' chakra.

The seal also appears on the stomach of the users of the Dead Demon Consuming Seal after the target and the user's own soul is sealed in the death god's stomach, such as what happened to Hiruzen Sarutobi after sealing Orochimaru's arms.

_**Tamashī Kyōmei Yūgō**_ – Soul-Resonance Fusion – A forbidden fūinjutsu that was created by an unnamed person. The technique allows a human to merge souls with a demon. The technique has a low success rate and can end up killing the caster. It was given to the Uzumaki clan to keep out of the hands of evil people.


	7. Chapter 6

_**Chapter 6**_

Naruto threw a roundhouse kick at Ibarra. The woman blocked the kick and countered with a punch. The two Uzumaki traded blows with one another. It had been two months and Naruto was back to full health. He went straight into his physical training once cleared. Ibarra joined him and even taught him a couple of things.

Naruto pushed the pace and was getting a bit frustrated. Despite her age, Ibarra was fast and hard to hit. She was also craftier than him. Ibarra flew back until she skids across the water. Ibarra did a few seals and three Mizu Bunshins rose out of the water. They all charged at Naruto.

Naruto did a few seals and crossed his wrists. Blue chakra covered his hands and shaped into claws. The Kaze no Tsume was another jutsu he created. It made his taijutsu deadly as he showed Ibarra's clones. They were ripped to shreds and Naruto disabled his technique. He quickly did a few more seals.

"Katon: Karyū Endan!" Naruto shouted and launched a large stream of fire toward Ibarra. Ibarra did seals of her own. Slamming her hands together, she called out her technique.

"Suiton: Suishōha!" Water spiraled around her, and then exploded into a wave of water. Ibarra pushed the wave forward with her hands. The wave smothered Naruto's fire attack. The steam blinded Naruto from seeing Ibarra. He readied a few blunt shuriken when he was placed in a choke hold.

"You need to be more aware of your surroundings kid." Ibarra said.

"Maybe but I still won." Naruto said with a grin. Confusion turned into surprise as Naruto dispelled with a puff of smoke. Ibarra was impressed but suddenly couldn't move her body. That's when she saw the seals moving up her arm and neck. "Clever," she muttered. She felt a blunt kunai on her kidney. She could feel the smug grin on his face. "Don't get cocky boy. You haven't really won."

"Oh yeah, how do you figure that?" Naruto asked. His answer was in the form of be trapped inside water. Naruto looked around to see a smiling Ibarra.

"Who's the winner now?" she asked with a grin. She got a dirty look for her answer.

X X X

Ibarra tossed a towel to Naruto. The blond proceeded to dry his hair. She watched him with a proud look. In two months, her nephew had grown in skill. She no longer denied that this was Kushina's child. Their attitudes were way too similar. She even guessed who his father was. Who would have guessed she would marry the Yondaime Hokage?

When she guessed who his father was, she considered telling Naruto. She hadn't but it was still something she considered. She was scared about how Naruto would react. Yes, he did not wish to fail the man who cursed him but how would he feel, knowing that it was his father who cursed him? Not to mention, the enemies within Tsuchi no Kuni who would want him dead. She was pretty sure that Onoki wouldn't do anything. Berugu was a different story and would probably lay waste to the land to find him.

In regards to his mother, she decided to let him know after the year was up. She figured that he would be happy to know that he had one. She would also tell him about their connection as well. She felt that he would be so happy to know he had a family. Right now, she would keep him focused on his fūinjutsu Training, which was coming along nicely.

"Okay kid, that's it for today. We have to get you a nice kimono for tonight." Ibarra said.

"Kimono, for what?" Naruto asked.

"It's for tonight's festival. You're not going in your training clothes." Ibarra answered. She began to walk back to the village, a confused Naruto following her.

X X X

Naruto tugged at the kimono with an annoyed expression. Ibarra slapped his hand away and gave Naruto a glare. The two continued to walk through the village that was made up with decorations. It was Independence Day for Tsuchi no Kuni. It was years ago when Tsuchi no Kuni gained their independence from the west. Ibarra celebrated the day as it had been her home since Uzushio's destruction. Naruto felt a bit uncomfortable about it.

He once again began to fuzz with his clothes.

"Would you please stop that?" Ibarra said, slapping his hand again.

"I just don't like clothes. They're uncomfortable." Naruto complained.

"You're just pissed that it has no orange on it. It's a horrible color." Ibarra spoke.

"What do you know? Your braids make you look ridiculous. Only people from Kaminari no Kuni can pull that off." Naruto said.

"Keep running your mouth brat and see what I'll do to you." She snarled.

"Are you two arguing again?" both Uzumaki turned to see Aisha, Musashi and Tetsuo. They were dressed in kimonos as they were. Naruto had a little tinged of pink on his cheeks when he saw Aisha. She walked up to Naruto.

"Wow Naruto, that looks good on you." She said.

"Thanks, I picked it out myself." Naruto said with a smile. Ibarra looked at him with a look of anger. Naruto ignored her and faced Aisha. "You look nice."

"Thank you." Aisha said.

"Oh, just kiss already." Musashi teased. He got a swift kick to his shin.

"Why don't we hang together?" Tetsuo asked.

"Tōsen being a pain in the ass again?" Ibarra asked.

"I swear, he's getting much bolder." Tetsuo said.

"Well then, you're welcomed to hang with us. Tōsen wouldn't mess with us." Ibarra said. The group walked through the village together. After a few minutes, Ibarra made a silent motion to Tetsuo and Musashi. They nodded and slowly down. Aisha and Naruto were unaware of what they were doing. It took a while before they did notice something. They looked around to see that they were nowhere around.

"What's going on? Where did they go?" Naruto asked.

"They ditched us!" Aisha exclaimed. The two then looked at each other. They were instantly nervous at being alone. It was no secret that Aisha had a crush on Naruto. Naruto was developing a crush on her. After a few seconds of silence, Naruto spoke.

"You want to play at a few stands?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah, I would like that." Aisha said. They made their way toward a stand.

X X X

Naruto and Aisha were seated on a hill, watching over the river. They both had a stick of dango and various prizes. They had smiles on their faces. Both had been having the most fun ever. They played games, some which he won, and some she won. Naruto kept the might entertaining. He made Aisha laugh and kept her safe.

The night was highlighted by Naruto's prank on Tōsen. The perverted, arrogant teenager never saw it coming. Somehow, Naruto rigged it that he would be stripped, tarred and feathered. He was then launched into the air and landed in the water. The villagers had a laugh. Tōsen did not show his face again. For the rest of the night, Naruto kept acting like a chicken, making Aisha laugh.

Now, the two were waiting for the fireworks. Aisha led him to this spot to see it. As they waited, Aisha turned toward Naruto.

"So, you're go8ing to be moving on in another ten months?" she asked.

"Yeah, I don't think I should stay within Tsuchi no Kuni." Naruto said

"Oh. I thought that you enjoyed staying here." Aisha said softly.

"Well yeah, I do like it here but my staying will bring a lot of problems in the future." Naruto explained.

"Is it because you're from Hi no Kuni or is it because of the group of missing-nin that is hunting you?" Aisha asked.

"That group can do a lot of damage should they find me. I don't want to but anybody in danger because I'm here." Naruto explained.

"Oh, okay." Aisha said with a bit of sadness. Naruto picked up on it and faced the water.

"Still, it would be nice to have a place to call home. You know, I could come and visit the old crone and you." Naruto said with a blush. Aisha had a blush as well.

"That would be nice. Maybe, I can cook you dinner one time." Aisha said.

"That would be nice." Naruto said. That's when the fireworks started. It was a beautiful display of colors.

"Wow, this is a great spot." Naruto said with a smile.

"I told you so." Aisha said. Naruto made a bold move and reached for her hand. He took it and gave it a squeeze. Aisha returned the squeeze and held onto his hand. They kept holding hands as the fireworks went off.

X X X

Naruto lay on his back, his stomach exposed. Now fifteen, Naruto was a bit nervous. Ibarra was now prepared to place the new seal on him. It took five months but Ibarra was able to come up with a sealing formula that would work. Her only problem was the Kyūbi. She knew that he would do anything to stop them. That's where Naruto came in.

"You got the plan Naruto? The seal will not take me long to apply but you have to keep the fox busy." Ibarra said.

"No problem, I'll keep him busy." Naruto said. Ibarra nodded and put Naruto to sleep with a genjutsu. She took a deep breath and prepared to place the new seal.

X X X

Naruto walked toward the cage of the Kyūbi. He took a deep breath before standing in front of the cage.

"Hey Kyūbi, get your ass out here!" Naruto shouted. He got no answer for a while until he heard a dark chuckle. Red bubbles formed and the Kyūbi appeared in front of him.

"**Well, look who has returned? Are you here to surrender yourself to me?**" the Kyūbi asked mockingly.

"You know why I'm. You know what about to happen to you. It's time to seal you back behind your cage." Naruto said with seriousness.

"**And you're going to stop me boy? You may have learned a few things from that bitch but it won't be enough to stop me. You may carry the Uzumaki name but are not a true Uzumaki.**" The fox said with a smile. Naruto returned his smile. After a few seals, he pointed his finger at the Kyūbi.

"Fūinjutsu: Rikujōkōrō!" Naruto shouted. Six rods of light slammed into the Kyūbi gut. The demon fox was surprised by the move. He growled as he watched the smug grin on his face.

"What was that you were saying fuzz ball?" Naruto mocked.

"**Don't think that you've done anything boy! This will not hold me!**" Kyūbi spat. He unleashed his chakra and smashed the rods. Naruto snarled but didn't waste any time. He did another set of hand seals.

"Fūinjutsu: Hyapporankan!" Naruto shouted. Naruto formed and threw a blue-white rod. The rod turned into many and pierces the Kyūbi multiple times. His claws were held to the ground. Naruto didn't let up and created a clone. He helped the original with a very huge ball of chakra. "Ōdama Rasengan!" The attack was driven into the Kyūbi back.

"**Damn you boy! I'll tear the flesh from your bones!**" The fox roared. The blast from the roar sent Naruto flying. He hit the wall with thud. Naruto groaned and looked to see the Kyūbi claw coming toward him. Naruto quickly rolled out of the way and moved. He did another Rikujōkōrō which held Kyūbi in place. The Kyūbi launched a couple of chakra hands at Naruto. As they neared, they were cut down by a sword.

"**What?**" Kyūbi exclaimed. He suddenly roared in pain as a spear hit his side. The fox looked to see a being, dressed in armor. The fox was about to blast it away when the armored being with the sword stabbed him in the gut. His mouth was suddenly wrapped with a chain. Then, the Kyūbi felt the stab of a blade in his neck. A fourth armored being, with claws on each hand, stabbed him in the chest.

The Kyūbi growled and tried to free himself from the four armored figures. He suddenly felt weak and did not know why. He looked forward and Naruto was standing in front of him. The two glared at each other.

"**This isn't over boy! I will break free of this new seal as well!**" The Kyūbi said.

"Not this time fur ball. This seal is going to do the job the other seal did. Only this seal will end you're existence." Naruto explained. That confused the Kyūbi but he had not time to ask when he was forced back into the cage. The Kyūbi watched as the cage began to change. He was restrained by shackles and a muzzle was placed on him. The four warriors appeared on four platforms with chakra chains attached to them. Naruto watched up to the cage and placed his hands on the new cage.

"Shiro no Shugo-sha." Naruto called out. The cage glowed and changed into an old time Japanese dungeons. The Kyūbi attempted to break the shackles but he could not. Naruto backed up and faced the cage. "Okay, let's see if this works." Naruto said and placed his hands in the chakra forming seal. Again, the Kyūbi felt his chakra leave him. He looked to see his chakra flow up to the armored beings. Suddenly, a seal appeared under Naruto and the Kyūbi was shocked to see him shrouded in his chakra. A tail moved back and forth as the boy observed it.

"Wow, this is awesome!" Naruto exclaimed.

"**What have you done boy! ANWSER ME!**" The Kyūbi demanded loudly. Naruto just smiled at him.

"This new seal, the Shiro no Shugo-sha, keeps you in your cage and saps your chakra, making it my chakra. It allows me to use your chakra without asking you and without drawbacks. My friends here are helping with the process of draining you of your chakra. In a matter of years, your chakra will belong to me." Naruto explained. The fox trashed wildly trying to escape his bonds. The four guardians yanked on his chains, tightening their hold. He glared at Naruto with uncontained fury.

"**I WILL KILL YOU UZUMAKI NARUTO! I WILL SEE YOU AND ANY ONE YOU CARE ABOUT BURN IN HELL!**" The Kyūbi roared.

"Scream all you want, no here cares." Naruto said and faded away.

X X X

Naruto opened his eyes and looked at Ibarra. The two looked at each other for a while in silence. Ibarra suddenly smirked at Naruto and Naruto gave her a big cheesy grin and a 'thumbs up'. His battle with Kyūbi was over for now. He could now rest without worry. He felt that he made the Yondaime proud.

X X X X X

_**Authors' Notes**_: As you noticed, I've used two techniques from _Bleach_. The Naruto wikia page didn't really have any good fūinjutsu. Then I thought, 'I can see some of the Bakudō used in Naruto'. The two I used went well with the story. Well, this is the new chapter. It is a little short but this is where it should have ended.

As I said before, I will be revamping my _Mizukage_ story. I felt that I should have started with this story and it may have contributed to a lot of the mistakes that I made with the original one. Don't expect this to be long, like about fifteen chapters. My plan is to break the story up into series which would be fifteen to sixteen chapters long. I've also been reading that if I do the revamp that I should change the pairings. I was going to ignore the whispers but it does have merit. So there will be a poll up and I would allow you to make the choice.

_**Techniques**_

_**Fūton**__**: Kaze no Tsume**_ – Wind Release: Claws of Wind – A wind technique that is created by Uzumaki Naruto. This technique covers Naruto's hands in wind which will form into claws. This is the ultimate close quarters attack as it can shred anyone to pieces.

_**Katon: Karyū Endan**_ – Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet - The user kneads chakra into flames, which are then manipulated into a genuine-looking dragon. Since the art of having the flames obey the user's will is outrageously difficult, its mastery is restricted to a limited number of skillful shinobi. The flames are divided to launch a left side, right side, and frontal assault in all three directions at once, turning the enemy into ash in a matter of seconds.

_**Suiton: Suishoha**_ – Water Release: Water Shockwave - This technique allows the user to make a spiraling vortex of water. The vortex then proceeds to explode from the top in the form of a wave. The user can also control the direction the wave goes with hand movements.

_**Fūinjutsu: Rikujōkōrō**_ – Sealing Technique: Six-Staff Light Prison – After a few seals, the user points his/her index finger at the target generating a spark of yellow energy. That energy summons six thin, wide beams of light that slam into a target's midsection, holding them in place. The target is then unable to move any part of their body including the parts that were not struck by the beams.

_**Fūinjutsu: Hyapporankan**_ – Sealing Technique: Hundred-Step Fence – After a few seals, the user generates a blue-white glowing rod of energy in his/her hand and throws it at the intended target. It then duplicates itself into a hundred more rods which rain down on the target pinning him/her against a solid surface completely immobilizing them. The power is hard to dodge in a small area.

_**Shiro no Shugo-sha**_ – Guardians of the Castle – This is a sealing technique created by Uzumaki Ibarra. This fuinjutsu is powerful enough to seal a Bijū. It allows the user to take the beasts' chakra without its permission. Over time, the seal will take every bit of the beasts' chakra, making it the users. This process is supported by four beings that take and store the chakra within a seal with the user can access at any time.


	8. Chapter 7

_**Chapter 7**_

Naruto was with Aisha as the two were on their way to the entrance. It had been two days since the new seal was applied to the blond, and Ibarra had allowed him to rest, as he would be busy for the next week. She had informed him that he needed to get used to using the Kyubi's chakra, which was something that he agreed with.

A few minutes later, they reached the entrance and faced one another. A long awkward silence settled in before Aisha finally broke it.

"So, how long are you going to be gone?" Aisha asked.

"Not too long, at least until I can manage the one-tailed state." Naruto explained.

"How far are you going?"

"Not too far. Why are you so worried? I'll be fine. It's just training."

"I know, and I'm sorry if I'm worried. It's just that you'll be gone soon and I'm really going to miss you." She explained. Naruto understood what she was talking about. In another five months, he would be moving on. He had gotten attached to the village, as well as Ibarra and Aisha. But much to his displeasure, he knew that he would have to leave it behind. He needed to be constantly moving, so that the Akatsuki couldn't find him like they did last time. A part of him was disappointed, however, that he did not explore his feelings for Aisha first.

He looked at Aisha with a little pink hue on his cheeks. Even though he knew that he was leaving, that still didn't mean that he could enjoy his remaining time in the village with her.

"Say, how about we hang out when I get back?" Naruto asked.

"You mean, like a date?" Aisha asked bashfully, a small blush appearing on her face.

"Y-Yeah, like a date. That is, if you want to call it a date." Naruto said, stuttering at first.

"I'd like that. How about I cook us dinner and we have a picnic?" Aisha suggested.

"That sounds great." said Naruto, a small blush stretching across his cheeks, before the awkward silence returned. "Well, I better get going." As he turned to go, Aisha quickly shot forward and placed her lips to his cheek in a quick chaste kiss. Naruto was very surprised by her sudden show of affection and went red in the face. He looked at Aisha in shock, to which she just bashfully smiled back at him.

"That's just a reason for you to finish quickly." She said and quickly walked away. Naruto's shock expression turned into a smile which never left his face as he made his way out. The villagers who saw what happened chuckled and silently wished the two happy times. One person, however, was not happy for them, he was downright furious. He slammed his fist against a wall as he replayed the kiss between the two people in his mind.

Tōsen couldn't believe that nerve of that bitch! After everything he gave her, after declaring his undying love for her, she chose that shinobi! It made him sick to think that she would rather live a life of mediocrity than a life of luxury. He could hear the little comments from the villagers about how they were happy for Aisha. There were also whisperings about how they would make a great couple and how Aisha was lucky to find someone better. That only served to fuel the already burning rage he was feeling.

'Well screw them all!' he thought darkly. He was getting tired of the disrespect these people showed him day in and day out. What he had just witnessed cemented his decision: he would sell them out, and then leave them to their fate. He had been planning this for a while, but now, he had no reason to hold back. Without sparing the village and its people a single glance, Tōsen left to make the trip to Mount Raikyou.

XXX

It only took Naruto three hours to reach the place that Ibarra told him about. It was a cave that led to an in-cave waterfall. There was a small hut that had some food that was kept cool by the cool temperature of the area. Once he made his way inside the hut, he placed his bag down to begin unpacking. On the very top of his belongings, he noticed a note that was addressed to him, and was written in Ibarra's handwriting. Without a second's delay, he opened it and read what it had to say.

_Naruto,_

_In the bag, are a few scrolls for some easy jutsu. The waterfall is to further your training with your wind affinity. If you use your Kage Bunshin, you will learn it at a faster rate. I can't believe that you've been using that jutsu for so long, and you even didn't realize it. Anyways, I placed a schedule that will help you get the most of your training if you follow it to the letter. Have fun training._

_Ibarra._

Naruto just smirked at the letter, as he placed it aside. He then grabbed the schedule that was underneath Ibarra's letter and looked it over. After spending a few minutes memorizing it, he readied himself for some training.

XXX

It took Tōsen three days to reach the base at Mt. Raikyou. Fortunately for him, he was allowed in after a few minutes of speaking with the guards and showing them his credentials. The base was one of many that were established by Maguna Berugu, who was currently fighting to take Iwagakure away from the current Tsuchikage, Ryōtenbin no Ōnoki. The two sides had been at odds with each other for quite some time. Berugu was once a loyal Iwa shinobi that had fought in the Daisanji Ninkai Taisen. He was fearsome warrior that won many battles until he was defeated by the Yondaime Hokage, Namikaze Minato.

He had survived the attack and wanted revenge on the Konoha shinobi, but was enraged when Iwa surrendered. He was very vocal about the subject and questioned Ōnoki repeatedly about his decision. Eventually, his constant questioning and warmongering ways ended up with Berugu and his followers being banished from Iwagakure no Sato. He swore that he would return, and that he did with an army of his own and many bases that surrounded Iwagakure. Tōsen chose to support Berugu's side immediately, as it was rumored that Berugu had supporters inside Iwagakure. To the young man, it was clear that Berugu would win his war soon.

He was led to the main hall, where a woman was surrounded by several shinobi. She had brown hair that was tied in a top-knot. Her hazel eyes looked bored, which made Tōsen was a little intimidated when her stare focused in on him.

"I was told that you had something important to tell me. You have five minutes." She said.

"Ma'am, I am the son of the mayor of a village, three days away from here. My father was a very big supporter of Ōnoki and helped finance the old Kage. I tried to get him to see the error of his ways but he refused to listen. I, regrettably, had to deal with my father in a more permanent manner. Unfortunately, the villagers found out and chased me out of the village." Tōsen lied through his teeth. The woman looked at him for a moment, before smirking.

"That's a very interesting tale. Too bad I know that it's complete bullshit. Take this trash out and gut him." Two shinobi immediately grabbed Tōsen and began to drag him out.

"W-Wait! Please, hear me out!" Tōsen said quickly, fearing for his life.

"Why should I? I hate being lied to. And, I know for a fact that there is no village three days away from here. We've checked that area and found nothing." She spat.

"The village is hidden by a barrier that was put up by one of the villagers. She was once a ninja from a foreign land. I swear, the village is there and I can lead you to it!" He said with urgency.

"Say that I believe what you're saying, what do you want from us?"

"I want to hire you to take the village out." Tōsen said, venomously. The woman looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Okay, you have my attention." She said, as she made a quick hand motion, and the two subordinates released Tōsen. Tōsen looked at her while rubbing his arms. "So what's the deal with this village? Why do you want it taken out?" the commander asked.

"I wasn't lying when I said that I was the mayor's son. He never respected me and neither has the villagers. They've always questioned my laws and disrespected my authority. Why should I continue to run a village that doesn't respect its leader? You can kill everybody and burn the place down to the ground for all I care." Tōsen said with resolve. The woman tried to find any trace of deceit in the boy before her, but found that he was completely honest.

"Very well, I will have to pass your request to Berugu, and see what he says on the matter. If he agrees, you will have to pay us half of what we want before we deploy as a down payment." She said.

"I understand." Tōsen said, immediately. The woman stood and made her way to send a message to Berugu.

XXX

A loud yell echoed throughout the cave, which was quickly followed by the sound of the waterfall's movement halting. This was the only sounds that proved that Naruto and his clones were hard at work. They all had grins on their faces as they had made lots of progress in their training. Seeing that they had accomplished their main goal for today, Naruto and his clones stopped the flow of chakra, allowing the waterfall to resume it's normal flow. He then dispelled his clones, one by one, so as not to go through the mental backlash like he did the first time he trained with shadow clones. He released the chakra to his feet and sank into the water. He soon surfaced and laid on top of the water, enjoying the cool touch on his skin. His training was getting better and better with each passing day. He was so much closer to mastering his wind affinity and he had complete control of the one-tailed state. Now, he was working on controlling two tails worth of the Kyubi's chakra. On a side note, he began trying to focus the demon's chakra into the Rasengan, which had very destructive results. He didn't have good control of the technique as of yet, but it was just one of the many things that he planned on working on whilst he was at this little hideout. He also worked on his taijutsu, ninjutsu and fūinjutsu as well, making sure that his skills didn't dull. All in all, he was getting stronger with each passing day. He knew that it wasn't enough to face the Akatsuki but it would be soon.

His mind wondered to what was waiting for him back at the village, more specifically, who was waiting for him. Aisha was an amazing person. She was cute, friendly and fun to be with. He had strong feelings for her, but had decided to take his time and get to know her first. He wasn't going to be the same person that had chased after someone who in turn stomped on his feelings. He would explore his feelings for her and hope that it would lead to something more.

Having gotten his second wind back, Naruto popped up and landed on the water's surface. He summoned some clones who all prepared themselves to fight him. He then summoned the Kyubi's chakra, and readied himself for an intense spar.

XXX

Ibarra sat with Aisha, as she was helping the girl fix her hair for tonight's little picnic. She found the date to be funny and teased the poor girl constantly about it. Secretly, she was very happy for the two of them. She knew about Naruto's first crush from the boy, and knew that he had been hurt before. Aisha had to deal with Tōsen on a daily basis. The two needed two need to find better people, so why not each other?

Ibarra could feel the nervous aura that Aisha was giving off and chuckled.

"I'm surprised that you're so nervous. Didn't he ask you out?" Ibarra asked with mirth.

"This is our first date. Sure, we hang out all the time, but this means that we're getting closer to one another." Aisha said.

"Been dreaming about kissing those lips of his, haven't you?" Ibarra teased.

"Shut up!" Aisha exclaimed. "I just want to give him a reason to come back to the village. You know, let him know that he has a home."

"You must really like him, then. And I know he likes you. I wish you both the best of luck." Ibarra said with a smile. Aisha smiled as well, and sat still as Ibarra put up the finishing touches. But as soon as she finished, they heard the alarm. Both women ran out the house to see what was happening. A male villager appeared before her.

"Ibarra, we have a serious problem!" he shouted.

"Calm down, what's going on?" Ibarra demanded.

"It's a platoon of Iwa shinobi. They're wearing black metal plates on their headbands. They're Berugu's men!" he said quickly. Ibarra was shocked by this, and began thinking of how they found their way through her protective barrier when another villager appeared. He was breathing heavily as he spoke.

"Tōsen is gone! All of his things are missing as well!" he shouted. Everything fell in place for Ibarra. The woman growled.

"That son of a bitch! He sold the village out to Berugu." Ibarra calmed down and looked at the two men. "Okay, I want you to gather all the non-combatants and take them to the bunker and I want you to gather everyone who can fight and meet me at the entrance." she ordered. The villagers nodded and left to follow their orders. She then turned to face Aisha.

"Ibarra, what about Naruto?" Aisha asked, fearfully.

"We have to hope that he arrives in time. Until then, we have to hold out. Now, get to the bunker. I need you to keep everyone calm." Aisha nodded and left. Ibarra made her way to the entrance to see what she would be dealing with.

XXX

The Iwa kunoichi stood with her men. She was waiting to see the two "dangerous" people that Tōsen told her about. She couldn't help but smile as she watched the villagers scurry around like frightened rats. That's when she saw one of the two people that she was told about appear before her.

"Red braids, violet eyes, yeah, that's one of them. She's the one that Berugu wants alive. Make sure that you don't kill her." She ordered. The sight of several men of the village armed with small swords brought a smirk to her face. "Drown these rats." A couple of Iwa shinobi began to do hand seals.

"Doton: Doro Hōshi!" half of them called out.

"Suiton: Haran Banshō!" the other half called out.

The water from the sky mixed with the muddy water from the ground, creating a huge wave of water and mud. It neared the village with amazing speed. Ibarra didn't panic and did some quick seals of her own.

"Doton: Doryū Jōheki!" she shouted. The earth rose with a rumble and formed into a huge mountain side. The muddy wave hit the wall and protected the village. The Iwa kunoichi was impressed.

"She's as skilled as the rich boy said. Still, I wonder where the blond is?" she whispered to herself. One of her men suddenly appeared next to her.

"Sakurako-sensei, we have located the hiding place for the rest of the village. It looks like a fortified bunker but only from the ground up." The man said.

"Very good, take twelve men and deal with them." Sakurako said.

"Is that wise ma'am?" he asked.

"Berugu wants everyone and everything on this land destroyed so that he can build another base here. I'm not going to question his orders and we're getting paid to wipe this place off the map. Now go." The man nodded and left to round up twelve men. She looked toward the entrance and gave the order to charge. She stayed back and watched.

XXX

Naruto had a smile on his face and was making his way back in good time. If he continued with his current speed, he would be in the village in about an hour. He couldn't wait to see Aisha and to show Ibarra how much he had improved in such a short time. But as he reached a hill where he could see the fishing village, his mood suddenly changed. He could see that there was something wrong. The smoke that was coming from the village was a thick black.

Worried, Naruto used some chakra to enhance his sense of smell. What he smelled horrified him. It was blood and a lot of it. He dropped his things and took off. He needed to reach the village quickly.

XXX

Aisha was running for her life as blood dripped from her back where three shuriken were lodged in it. She was trying to find a place to hide as her brother told her to. Those Iwa butchers had managed to get into the bunker from under the ground. When they appeared, they began killing the people. Several were cut down before the doors of the bunker were thrown open.

Aisha suddenly turned away when she heard voices. Seeing the river, she quickly dove into it. She swam underwater to avoid being spotted by the enemy until she reached one of the many fishing huts. She broke through the water and used the net to climb into the hut. Dragging herself to one of the corners, she sat there as she caught her breath from staying underwater for so long. Her breaths were ragged and her eyes felt heavy. She looked to see a small pool of blood had formed beside her. Nonetheless, she forced herself to stay awake until Naruto came for her.

"Naruto… kun…. where…. are… you?" Aisha asked weakly.

XXX

Screams were heard throughout the village as the citizens tried to escape. Berugu's men chased them with smirks on their faces. It was a bloody slaughter of innocents, but they didn't care. They had their orders and they were going to complete them. They led those who were trying to escape toward an area a strike team that was waiting for any stragglers to kill.

But as the escapees neared the ambush site, an army of blond haired teens suddenly broke through the tree line. The villagers were happy at the sight of the newcomer, whilst the Iwa shinobi were shocked. The blonde squad didn't waste their breath and immediately attacked the Iwa ninja. They managed to cut down a few, but the Iwa nin soon realized that they were fighting just Kage Bunshins. Whilst this was going on, the real Naruto had stopped a villager to get information.

"Where's Ibarra?" he asked with concern.

"She's at the entrance. She told us that she would be hold them back while we escaped." the woman told him. Dread suddenly gripping at his heart, Naruto told her to run and quickly made his way toward the front.

XXX

Ibarra was bloody, tired, and getting weaker with each passing second. She had been fighting for a while, with the last five minutes by herself. She had sent those who were helping her to get the villagers out of town when the invaders mobilized more and more of their forces. She looked around to see that she was completely surrounded. Sakurako stepped forward to face the Uzumaki, to which Ibarra stared back towards the leader without fear.

"I'm pretty impressed that an old bird like you could hold out for so long." She said with mirth.

"So you're the leader of this little raid. Tell me, did that little pissant Tōsen send you after us?" Ibarra barked.

"I'm just doing what I was paid to do. As for you, on the other hand, Berugu has ordered me to take you in, alive. He was very surprised to hear that an Uzumaki had survived the destruction of your home village. So to show you how much he would appreciate your talents, he has asked me personally to relay a message to you. He offers you a place within his circle and untold wealth if you agree to help him take back Iwagakure."

"Is that so?" Ibarra asked with a smirk. "How about I give you a counter offer?"

"I'm sorry, but this is not a negotiation." said Sakurako.

"Oh come on, it's a great offer." Ibarra said as she removed her robe. Everyone watched the woman, wondering what she was doing. She reached for a kunai, making everyone tense up. "Here's my offer. You can tell Berugu to go fuck himself. That is, if you survive!" She stabbed her kunai deep into her throat, surprising everyone. As the light faded, Ibarra had these final thoughts.

'_I'm sorry, my nephew. It looks like I won't get the chance to continue teaching you in the art of fūinjutsu. I know that you'll do well on your own. But, I wish I could have told you about your mother. She would have been so proud at how strong you've become.'_ With those thoughts, Ibarra died. When her heart finally stopped beating, seals began to appear on her body. Black liquid sprayed out of her body, and formed into a black dome. The dome caught a lot of the shinobi in the area who cried out in surprise and horror. There would be no salvation for them, however, as the dome retreated back into Ibarra's body, sealing the unfortunate shinobi into the Uzumaki's body.

Sakurako, who had survived the jutsu, just stared at deceased woman in shock. She wasn't one to care about her subordinates, they were just human shields to her. Still, after what she had just witnessed, she wouldn't have wished that type of death on anyone. As she and the remaining survivors stood, a killing intent unlike anything they ever encountered fell upon them. Sakurako looked up and was white with fear from what she saw. Standing on one of the huts, was a fifteen year old boy. He was covered in a violent red chakra, glaring at them with so much hate in his eyes. From what she saw from his appearance, she knew what she was about the face and was beginning to believe that she wouldn't survive the encounter.

Naruto released a pain stricken roar and launched himself at Ibarra's killers.

XXXXX

_**Authors' Notes**_: My thanks goes out to Toa Naruto. I gave him this chapter to beta and he made so much better. I can't thank Toa enough for the help. This chapter is so much better. Well, here's the new chapter that me and Toa Naruto worked on. Hope you enjoy it.

_**Glossary**_

_**Daisanji Ninkai Taisen**_ – Third Shinobi World War

_**Techniques**_

_**Doton: Doro Hōshi**_ – Earth Release: Mud Spore - This technique lets the user summon a river of mud. This technique can have water added to it to speed up the flow and increase its power.

_**Suiton: Haran Banshō**_ – Water Release: Stormy Blockade - This technique allows the user to summon a massive amount of water from the sky, crashing it into the opponent. If needed, the user can cancel the technique in an instant.

_**Doton: Doryū Jōheki**_ – Earth Release: Earth-Style Rampart - This technique makes a gigantic rampart rise up beneath the user's feet, by shaping the ground and increasing the amount of earth with chakra. Depending on what the user imagines, the shape of the rampart can be anything from level ground to a steep, needle-like mountain. If the user increases the volume of earth too much, he can be forced to keep his chakra consumption down.

_**Ura**__**Shishō Fūinjutsu**_ – Reverse Four Symbols Sealing Technique - This technique is a fūinjutsu that the user places across their chest, and sets it to activate upon their death. The technique releases four symbols from the user's body that then form a large, black sphere around them. Anything caught inside the sphere's area is then drawn in and sealed within the user's corpse.


	9. Chapter 8

_**Chapter 8**_

"Scatter!" Sakurako shouted, her tone almost sounding fearful. Her underlings wasted no time, and moved out of the way as Naruto hit the ground with a _**boom**_, kicking up a huge cloud of dust.

"Don't just stand there, gawking! Make him eat steel!" she ordered loudly. The battalion hurled a large volley of shuriken at the dust cloud, the sound of steel hitting flesh rewarding their efforts. They stopped the assault and waited to see if they had killed the person. A tense silence settled in, before it was shattered when a sudden blast of chakra blew away the dust, and the shuriken that were stuck in the boy's body. The weapons flew right back to their original owners, with some of them having enough force behind them to punch right through a few of the Iwa nin. Whilst his enemies were distracted, Naruto thrust his arm out, in which a red claw shot out at one hapless Iwa shinobi. Once the large chakra construct clamped down onto him, Naruto pulled his arm back, reeling the unfortunate bastard towards him like a fish from a river. Naruto waited until the shinobi was close enough before he reared his free arm back and brought it down, decapitating the man effortlessly. As he threw the headless body to the ground, the enraged teen launched himself at the remaining ninja.

Sakurako looked on in absolute horror. She didn't know that the blond was a _frickin'_ jinchūriki. She had witnessed one of Iwa's in action, and those horrid images were forever burned into her mind to this very day. It was one of the most brutal things she had ever seen in her entire life. The sounds of her men screaming brought her out of her thoughts in time to see another hapless chūnin get beheaded. She watched as Naruto literally tore her men apart. Blood and guts were strewn everywhere, and she wasn't about to have her own innards be added to the gore that was before her. She gathered her chakra to perform the Shunshin no Jutsu to escape.

Naruto's head snapped to Sakurako, having sensed her sudden increase of chakra. He wasn't about to let her escape, not after what she and her forces had done. With an enraged snarl, he charged at her and was over her in an instant. Sakurako cursed and used the Kawarimi no Jutsu instead to escape. Naruto looked away from the destroyed log, and faced towards the man-made cliff to see Sakurako. He dashed forward, intent on killing her. Unfortunately, in his haste to kill the kunoichi, he did not see her hands finishing the last hand seal for her jutsu.

"Doton: Dochūbaku!" Sakurako shouted. Instantly, Naruto was caught in an avalanche of dirt and stone. Sakurako wasted no time and began to make her way out of the area. She made it about halfway up the muddy hillside, when she was suddenly struck from behind. She dropped to her knees and almost bit her tongue as the burning would not stop. She turned around and saw Naruto burst through the mountain side. He was on all fours and glaring at her. She returned the glare and got to her feet.

"You damn beast! Why won't you die?" she roared. She performed another chain of hand seals and faced Naruto. "Doton: Dosekiryū!" A dragon of earth and stone charged at Naruto. The blonde narrowed his eyes at the attack and went through a chain of hand seals of his own.

"**Kekkai: Dankū!**" Naruto called out. The dragon hit something invisible and fell to the ground in a rain of dirt and stone. With that annoyance dealt with, he vanished from view in a burst of speed and reappeared behind Sakurako. In his hand was a dark purple colored Rasengan. Without a word, he shoved it into her back, making Sakurako scream in agony as the attack tore into her. The Rasengan drilled into her mercilessly, splashing blood, bone, and guts all over Naruto. It continued to tear into her until his clawed, red chakra covered hand broke through her chest. Blood dripped from the corners of her mouth as life left her eyes. Naruto merely tossed her lifeless body to the ground, not sparing it a single glance.

With all of the enemies finally dead, he took a few deep breaths before calming himself down. The chakra of the Kyūbi receded back into him, his lust for revenge sated. Naruto looked back at the village, dismayed at the devastation that he saw. His focus changed to finding survivors, as he summoned a vast amount of clones and lead them back to the village.

_**X-X-X**_

"Aisha! Aisha, where are you?" Naruto shouted, hoping that she would call back. He and his clones were running around the ruins, desperately searching for her. He had already found Musashi dead at the bunker, and then Tetsuo merely minutes later. He was getting more and more frantic as he searched for her like crazy. He had already found a lot of bodies, but no Aisha. His worry only increased as the clones he left with the survivors could not find her either. He made his way to the fishing huts where many were situated on the river, as they were the only place he hadn't looked yet. He searched them all until he finally found her in the very last hut, but what he saw shocked him to his core. Aisha was laying on the floor in a pool of her own blood, with her eyes closed.

"Aisha!" Naruto exclaimed. He carefully took her into his arms, and shook her gently. "Come on Aisha, open your eyes." Amazingly, Aisha slowly opened her eyes. She looked at Naruto and smiled, in which Naruto smiled back. "Hey, how are you doing?" he asked, a slight tremble in his voice.

"You're late Naruto. That's not how you start a relationship." Aisha joked.

"I'm sorry about that, I came as fast as I could. You need to hold onto me, I'm going to get you to some help. They'll be able to treat your wounds a lot better than I could." Naruto said.

"I don't think that it would matter anyways." Aisha said, quietly.

"Don't say that! " Naruto shouted vehemently. "I'm going to get you to the healers! You're going to be alright, Aisha, you'll see! You just have to hold on!"

"Naruto, look with your eyes. You know that I don't have much longer." Aisha explained softly. Naruto didn't want to believe what she was saying, but he knew that she was right. Yet, it didn't lessen any of the pain that he was feeling. Why did these things always happen to him? Why was everything taken away from him? He had lost everything in Konoha, but was able to create new bonds in this village; bonds that he sorely lacked back in his former home. And now, those bonds were severed and that same pain returned, only a hundred times worst. He couldn't stop the tears trailing down his cheek as he cried while he held Aisha close to him. The girl said nothing, but just melted into his embrace, a few tears traveling down her face as well. She took his hand and entwined her fingers with his.

"The only regret I have is that I never got to explore these new feelings with you. We haven't even kissed." She said, remorsefully.

"We can do that right now. You know, just to see if it could have worked." Naruto said, as he tried to give her one last smile, despite the tears freely falling from his eyes.

"I would like that." was all she said. Naruto lowered his head and helped Aisha move closer to his lips until they met in a soft kiss. Naruto poured all his feelings into the kiss and Aisha returned it with just as much passion. Regrettably, it only lasted for a short while as Naruto felt Aisha's life end. The tears started flowing from the blondes' eyes with renewed vigor as he hugged her close to his chest. Outside the hut, rain began to fall over the village.

_**X-X-X**_

The rain continued into the morning. Naruto's hair was weighed down by the falling water as he sat on a rock and stared at the hundred graves he and his clones had made throughout the night. He placed Aisha beside her brother, father, and Ibarra, figuring that they would want to be together even after death. In his hand he held the necklace that he found on Aisha's body. It was a simple stone that was greenish-blue in color; it was something that her mother made for her when she was younger. He wanted to put it on the stake, but then decided to keep it as a memento of all the good memories he shared with her.

He just sat there, staring at the graves of the dead. His thoughts were jumbled, and his emotions were a wreck. The world around him didn't matter to him right now. Emptiness was all he knew and he embraced it. He figured that was what he deserved. Everything and everyone he held dear kept on getting taken away from him. But then, maybe that was just Kami's way of telling him that he didn't deserve to be happy. If that was the case, then who was he to fight it? He suddenly got a feeling in the back of his mind and released a sigh. His clones that were traveling with the survivors had gotten them to a neighboring country. The person who was made leader said that he would follow his advice and go toward Kaze no Kuni. He knew that Gaara would help them.

Now that he knew the surviving villagers had made it to safety, he stood up; and made his way into the forest. He continued to walk for about three hours when he reached the training grounds that Ibarra had told him about. He entered the cave and made his way straight to the hut. Inside the building was one of Berugu's men, strung up by his wrists. He was beaten and bloody to the point where he was almost unrecognizable. Hearing Naruto's footsteps, he opened his one good eye and shook with fear. Naruto didn't say a word, and ripped the sleeve off his arm.

"Please, I told you what you wanted to know! The base is at Mt. Raikyou! The person who paid us was Tōsen!" the man said. "Please, just let me go! I won't tell anyone about you or about the survivors! Please,"

"How many innocents asked you for mercy, and yet you killed them anyways? Why should I show _you_ any when you've denied it to countless others?" Naruto snarled. He then placed two fingers on the prisoner's arm and began to channel the Kyūbi's chakra, before he pushed the foul chakra into the arm, making the guy scream in pain. After a second, Naruto removed his fingers and began to pack his things. The ninja looked at his arm and saw that it was turning red.

"What have you done to me?" he asked frantically.

"I was told that a biju's chakra is very poisonous to humans. I just wanted to see if it was true." Naruto said, in an eerily calm tone. After packing his weapons, Naruto left the hut. He ignored the screams of the captive shinobi, and began his trek toward Mt. Raikyou.

_**X-X-X**_

"I say we send a message to Berugu. It's been two and a half days since we heard from Sakurako." said one guard.

"Look, if she was having any trouble, we would have gotten word about it by now. She's probably checking out the area. Didn't Berugu want to set up a port base near the river?" the other guard asked. His fellow guard shrugged and looked back at the road. He was very surprised to see someone in front of the gates.

"Who the hell is that?" the guard asked. His comrade looked to see a haggard looking blond haired teen.

"I have no idea." was his answer, as he looked down at the blond. "Hey, you there, stop where you are!" he shouted. The teen did not answer him. He was about to shout again but his voice got caught in his throat. His fellow guard was also in a similar state as a malevolent chakra burst out of the blond. It circled and enshrouded him, with two tails waving behind him. The teen raised his head and glared at them with evil red eyes. They watched as he did some hand seals and inhaled deeply.

"**Fūton: Atsugai!**" He unleashed a huge amount of compressed air at the gate. The gate and guard towers were completely blown away by the attack. Shinobi who were on and near the gate were sent flying into and through walls. Those who weren't a bloody smear on the ground were trying to shake the cobwebs out. From out of the debris, Naruto stepped in view of the confused shinobi. He unleashed a might, ear-splitting roar before charging at them. The first three of Berugu's men were cut down in an instant. Two more were skewered by his tails.

Now alert, Berugu's men began to counter-attack. They threw projectiles at him, but Naruto retaliated by unleashing a chakra wave that deflected all of their throwing weapons and threw the attackers back. With those shinobi down, Naruto got on all fours and ran throughout the courtyard, striking every Iwa nin that got in his way. They could barely keep up with him as he unmercifully slashed through them. After a short passage of time, Naruto was standing in a courtyard filled with dead bodies and blood. He paid no attention to the destruction he caused, but just simply stalked into the base as the sirens began to ring.

_**X-X-X**_

Tōsen was scared out of his mind. He wanted to get the hell out, but was held in the damned base against his will by Sakurako. He had sworn to her that he would pay her, but she didn't trust his word. She told her men to keep him in this room and never let him out until she said otherwise. She even told her subordinates to kill him should he attempt to escape. So now, he was stuck in a dingy cell, without a clue as to how long they would keep him. As he waited in his cell, the sirens began to ring. Curious and somewhat frightened as to what was going on, he moved toward the door and listened to what the shouting shinobi were saying as they ran past his door. He didn't know what a _jinchūriki_ was, but it didn't sound good. He looked around the room for an exit, as his anxiety began to worsen. He wasn't about to die in this place.

_**X-X-X**_

Another Iwa nin fell to Naruto in bloody geyser. He threw the corpse to the side and faced down a group of shinobi that was standing across the hallway. One of them did some hand seals and placed his hands on the wall.

"Doton: Doryūsō!" he shouted. Several stone spears shot at Naruto from his left. Naruto raked his hand across and destroyed the spears with ease. Another Iwa nin stepped forward in the middle of his seals, before he slammed his hands on the ground.

"Doton: Iwayado Kuzushi!" The hallway crumbled and fell onto Naruto. Everyone held their breath as they waited to see if he was truly dead. Almost instantly the rubble exploded, blinding them with dust. When they could see again, they saw that they were overshadowed by a huge, red claw. The doomed fools only had enough time to scream in fright before the claw slammed down, creating a spatting sound that echoed throughout the hall. As quickly as it appeared, it quickly disappeared, leaving a large bloody stain on the ground. Naruto stepped out of the rubble and looked at the remained of the Iwa nin, before he turned away and continued his search of the base. He saw two more men ahead of him and charged at them. They attempted to flee, but were quickly caught. Naruto ripped one's throat before facing the remaining one.

"**Where is he?**" he demanded.

"W-where's who?" the trembling shinobi said with fright.

"**Tōsen! Where! Is! He!**" Naruto asked again.

"T-Top of the stairs, third door on your right." Before he could plead for his life, Naruto took the trembling shinobi's head and slammed it into the wall with all of his strength. He released the squashed head and hurried up the stairs. He reached the locked door and kicked it open. He growled as he caught _**his**_ scent, but didn't see him anywhere. He searched the room, but he couldn't find the son of a bitch anywhere. That is, until he noticed a sheet tied to a stake that was hammered into the wall. He raced to the window and snarled at what he saw. The enraged blond watched as Tōsen looked up at him and go white with fear. He immediately took off as fast as the corrupt politician could. Naruto wanted to go after him, but he had something else to do first.

Naruto left the room and rushed up to the roof. He looked down to see a few shinobi attempting to flee. Well, he wasn't about to allow _that_ to happen. He created a clone, which was also shrouded with the Kyubi's chakra, before they both began to go through hand seals.

"**Fūton: Atsugai!**" the original shouted.

"**Katon: Karyū Endan!**" the clone shouted. The two jutsu combined to create a raging firestorm in the shape of a large dragon. The flame construct crashed onto the ground with a mighty roar, burning many ninja to a crisp, including the others that were trapped within the base. The clone dispelled after it exhausted its own chakra reserves, and Naruto dropped the Kyubi's shroud. He looked at the flames with dark, cold eyes for one last time, before he turned away and ran down the side of the base. There was still some last minute revenge to be had.

_**X-X-X**_

Tōsen was out of breath, but kept on running. The huge explosion he had heard and felt behind him only served to push him on. He had seen what had attacked the base and it terrified him. It was only for an instant, but he could feel the cold hands of death reaching to grab him when the beast looked at him with nothing but rage and blood lust. He didn't know why it seemed so focused on him, but he didn't want to find out. He needed to get away from the area, and fast.

But suddenly, without a sound, Tōsen was cut off by someone that landed directly in front of him. He was so scared that he dropped his money. He looked to see who had appeared before him, and was shocked once he had gotten a good look at the person's face.

"No. No, you're supposed to be dead!" Tōsen gasped out.

"Is that so? Was I supposed to die with Ibarra? With _Aisha_?" Naruto growled. He advanced towards the sniveling Tōsen, who merely cowered away from the blond. When he heard the _**scrunch **_his sandal made against something, Naruto glanced down and noticed the money on the ground. "So, that's how much those lives were worth to you? This is how much a village of innocent lives amounts to?"

Naruto's words were the final push for Tōsen's, as his anger finally emerged. "Don't you judge me, _ninja_! You're the reason that all of this happened! If Aisha had loved me like she was supposed to, no one would have died!" he spat.

"Supposed to? She was _**supposed to love you**_?" Naruto roared with pure, unadulterated rage. Tōsen suddenly realized his mistake as Naruto slowly pulled out a kunai. The blonde's eyes turned red as he glared at the coward with white hot fury.

"W-What the hell are you?" stuttered Tōsen, his entire body convulsing in fear.

"Your executioner!" roared Naruto, before he charged. Tōsen's screams rang throughout the forest as metal ripped into flesh.

_**X-X-X**_

Naruto just kept walking. He didn't know how long he had been walking; it could have been a few days or a whole week. Yet, it didn't matter to him. He didn't care that his clothes were stained with blood and dirt, nor that he hadn't eaten, slept or showered. All he cared about now was walking, with no clue as to where he was going.

"Hey, who are you?" said a voice. Naruto stopped and looked to see a couple of kids. He looked at them with his dead eyes, which frightened the group a little. One small girl decided to be brave and walked up to the blond.

"Are you okay mister?" she asked him. Naruto didn't answer her. He just stood there and looked at them until his vision finally began to get blurry, in which he pitched forward and hit the ground with a _**thud**_. The children screamed in fright, alerting a man and woman from inside the house. The man was dressed like a monk and had very large beads hanging from his neck. The woman wore a simple cream dress with a white apron on top of it. The monk quickly made his way to the fallen Naruto, whilst the woman gathered the children and ushered them back into the house. After checking his vitals, he lifted the blond off the ground and rushed him into one of the house's spare rooms. As he worked to save him, the man couldn't help but wonder what the hell the poor boy had been through.

_**X-X-X-X-X**_

_**Authors' Notes**_: I love my beta reader so much. Toa Naruto did for me again. The chapter is just how I had it with a few additions that made this chapter so much better. Thanks to him for this amazing job. Well, Naruto is once again in a dark place. Will he be able to come out of it this time? Find out in the next chapter.

As I have said before, I plan to complete revamp my _Mizukage_ story. I've read it over and over again and I saw that some choices I made were really bad. Don't get me wrong, I think that I did a really good job and the beta readers who helped me did a very good job as well. Still I feel that I owe it to everyone who loves the story to revamp it and make much better. I hope that Toa Naruto sticks with me on this and I hope to improve the story greatly.

So to those who have used the idea that I created, continue to do so. Just ask for permission first please.

_**Techniques**_

_**Fūton: Atsugai**_ – Wind Release: Pressure Damage - A tornado-like mass is compressed until it has a very high density and is then released. The wind pressure is raised to its highest limit, and once the technique hits the target, the resulting blast sweeps everyone off their feet. If the technique is used by someone who has mastered wind nature transformation, the blast can hit a vast range, inflicting massive damage on both the target and their surroundings. This technique can be combined with Katon jutsu, to increase the flame's potency in a great scale, causing a massive fire-storm.

_**Doton: Iwayado Kuzushi**_ – Earth Release: Rock Lodging Destruction - This technique causes a cave-in by destroying the equilibrium that holds the cave together. Just removing a single vital stone throws off the balance of the cave, making it unexpectedly fragile and causing a domino effect that destroys the entire cave. The shinobi from Iwagakure use this technique in their pride tactic, luring several enemies into a cave to kill them all at once.

_**Doton: Doryūsō**_ – Earth Release: Earth Flow Spears - This technique lets the user condense mud or stone, from the ground, and shape them into spikes that will protrude from the ground in order to skewer the target. The spikes cannot penetrate targets of greater density.

_**Kekkai: Dankū**_ – Barrier: Splitting Void - The practitioner creates a translucent barrier in the form of a large rectangular wall. This barrier is capable of stopping very high level ninjutsu.

_**Doton: Dosekiryū**_ – Earth Release: Earth and Stone Dragon - The user creates a dragon made from the ground to attack the opponent.

_**Doton: Dochūbaku**_ – Earth Release: Landslide - The user sends a landslide of earth towards the target.


	10. Chapter 9

_**Chapter 9**_

A young man walked toward the meeting hall with purposeful strides, yet his eyes were filled with worry. He knew that his father would not be happy with his progress. With a deep sigh, he entered the meeting hall where his father was sitting, along with several members of his council. Upon seeing him, the man stood to his full height, his muscular frame becoming even more intimidating and his eyes gaining a hard look. The man faced his son and his subordinates, the councilors mimicking his action.

"You better have good news, Sano." said the father, his tone emotionless yet deadly.

"I'm sorry, father, but we could not find anyone from the village that was destroyed. Also, the trail of the murderer has gone cold." Sano answered.

"Are you telling me that we have _nothing_?"

"Again, I am sorry." Sano apologized. Maguna Berugu pounded his fist onto the table, making it creak. He was very frustrated, to say the least, with the mess that was laid at his feet. When he had gotten word that the Mt. Raikyou base was destroyed, he immediately set out with his son, daughter and two battalions of loyal soldiers. When he arrived to the base's location, there was nothing but ash, rubble and bodies strewn everywhere. He had found very few survivors, and those who were still alive told him of the horror that they experienced, which only enraged him even further. There was a jinchūriki on the loose, and apparently had its sights on him. Fearing that Ōnoki had finally stepped up his game, he had quickly put his spies to work gathering intelligence on the two jinchūriki that he knew about. They reported back saying that Roshi was in seclusion, and that Han was dead as a result of his bijū being freed. Did this massacre mean that Ōnoki recaptured the Gobi and sealed it into someone else? If he had, then this would put a major halt to his plans.

Berugu glared fiercely at everyone. "I don't care what you have to do. Give out monetary rewards if you have to, but I want this jinchūriki brought before me."

"I swear, father, I will bring him in for the crimes he has committed." Sano promised, eager to redeem himself in his father's eyes.

"Hopefully, you will bring him back in good health, brother." interjected a female voice. Everyone turned to see a small, toned, young teenage girl, wearing an apron that was stained with blood. She pulled out a hairpin that released her long braid, which coupled with her weary-looking eyes, gave off the impression that she had spent nearly the entire day working without any rest.

"What did you learn from the bodies, Shion?" asked Berugu.

"There isn't much to report. Most of the dead are either burned to a crisp, or in pieces. Those that barely survived aren't going to be alive for much longer." Shion explained.

"What are you talking about?" Sano asked with annoyance.

"What I'm saying is whoever this jinchūriki is, he isn't native to Iwa. He used the chakra of his bijū in a way that's completely different than Han and Roshi's usual modus operandi. His chakra invaded the bodies of the wounded and, even as we speak, is slowly killing them. It acts like no poison that I have ever seen before. I would like a chance to observe and replicate this jinchūriki's chakra for further research."

"This isn't the time for your curiosity! This beast needs to pay for what he did! If he's against us, then he needs to be put down!" exclaimed Sano. He never did like his sister, as she reminded him too much of his late mother, and she had inherited that same air of arrogance that she had. All Shion seemed to care about was poisons and her superior intelligence, which irked him to no end.

"Not everything is about brute strength, _brother_. My 'curiosity' can help us in the war with Ōnoki. Or do you think that you're strong enough to face his Kekkei Tōta? This jinchūriki needs to be observed and used to our benefit. For once, why don't you think with your brain?" Shion countered with calm contempt. Sano clenched his fists and was about to explode when he and everyone else was hit with a large dose of killing intent. They all turned to Berugu. Seeing that he had their attention, he eased off and glared at his children.

"Enough of your petty arguments! Focus on your tasks. Find this jinchūriki and bring him here. I don't care about his condition." Everyone acknowledged his orders and left the meeting hall.

_**X-X-X**_

Tsunade looked out the window of her office, watching as everyone went about their day without a care in the world. She wished that she could be just like that but, alas, she was the Hokage, and she had to protect them from the horrible truth of what would most likely be coming in the future. Currently, she was keeping her eyes on the rest of the world, as she had heard some rather disturbing things; things that could probably lead to another world ninja war. From what Jiraiya reported, she could expect some trouble coming her way very soon.

She returned to her seat and reclined back, having had enough of watching the villagers. She then turned to the wall where the portraits of her former Hokages were. Even after two years, she _still_ could not look at those pictures for long, as she swore that she could feel their disappointed glares boring into her very being from beyond the grave. And she couldn't blame them, whenever she recalled that fateful decision that she was forced to make. Konoha had paid dearly for it though; the village was still recovering from the massive financial backlash when Nami no Kuni and Yuki no Kuni cut off all trade agreements with them. Those that dared to blame Naruto for their decrease in revenue got a one way ticket across the village via her fist. She would not blame Naruto for their troubles, nor would she allow anyone else to; it was _their_ fault and their fault alone.

Despite the council's decree, she did attempt to keep tabs on Naruto. She was not happy that Jiraiya had lost him after he made his way to Nami no Kuni, as she had told her perverted teammate to find the boy and keep him safe. All she wanted to know was if he was alive and well. Then, without warning, she was brought out of her thoughts as Jiraiya entered via the window. He had a look on his face that was not familiar to her, but she paid little attention to it.

"So, what do you have to report?" Tsunade asked without interest.

"I have a lead." was what Jiraiya said.

"Another one? How many of them have you had in this week alone, Jiraiya?" Tsunade asked with a bored tone. He had always said he had a lead, but they always seemed to turn out to be nothing but a waste of time. A sound, hard _**slap**_ resounding off her desk jolted her, unconsciously making her face him, to which she saw that he was looking very serious. She quickly realized that he believed that his current lead was credible.

"ANBU!" she ordered, as four masked men appeared before her. "Secure the room. I want no interruptions." The ANBU nodded and did as they were told. Once she was sure that the room was secure, she faced Jiraiya once again. "What did you find out?"

"He's alive, and in Tsuchi no Kuni." Jiraiya stated.

Her eyes widened in surprise. "How can you be sure?"

"Gaara summoned me two and half days ago. Apparently, he helped a group of people travel to Suna. They came from a village within Tsuchi no Kuni, which was attacked by members of Berugu's faction. The survivors were saved by a teenager fitting Naruto's description."

Tsunade let out a sigh of relief. "So he's safe? Thank goodness." Suddenly, she realized something that the Toad Sage said that didn't seem right. "Wait a minute. Are you saying that they came from Tsuchi no Kuni by themselves?"

"Naruto had a dozen of his clones protecting them as they made their way to the border before telling the leader of the refugees to head to Suna. He's still in Tsuchi no Kuni, and he just made an enemy out of Berugu."

"What do you mean?" asked Tsunade.

"That village Berugu attacked was like a new home for him. The people I interviewed told me that he was very happy there. He found a member of his clan, an Uzumaki Ibarra, in that village, and he was also getting close to a village girl called Aisha. They were not among the survivors and are most likely dead." Jiraiya solemnly explained.

"How can you be sure? Maybe they're with him."

"He attacked Mt. Raikyou base, leveled it to the ground and used the Kyūbi's chakra without any hesitation. If those two were alive, then Naruto wouldn't have reacted so violently to the attack. As a result, Berugu has put the word out that he's looking for a teenage boy who is also a jinchūriki." Tsunade bit her lip in a worried manner. Naruto was a hot head, but he wouldn't level a base for no reason. Her anxieties worsened as she knew what type of man Berugu was. If he did manage to capture Naruto, it wouldn't take him long to recognize who the whiskered blond was related to. She looked back to Jiraiya and saw that he was thinking along the same lines.

"Do whatever it takes, Jiraiya. Get into Tsuchi no Kuni, and get Naruto out of there. This is an S-rank mission that will not be documented in the records." Tsunade ordered.

"It shall be done, hime." replied Jiraiya, before he left via Shunshin. Now alone, Tsunade could do nothing but pray that Jiraiya got to him in time.

_**X-X-X**_

In a hidden base in Kawa no Kuni, nine shadowy figures sat around a table. They each wore a black robe adorned with red clouds and wore a ring, each with a unique symbol on it, on varying fingers. They were having a discussion on the latest news of the world, more specifically, about Naruto's attack and destruction of one of Berugu's bases.

"My, my, the little brat is sure making some noise. Berugu must be having fit." said Kisame.

"So are we going in there to capture him? Berugu is not one to let things go; he will definitely kill the boy if he gets to him first." stated a blond haired man.

"No. We must first regain what resources we have lost. It will not take long, so we will wait until then." said an orange haired man with multiple piercings.

"You mean the failure in taking your Amegakure?" asked a silver haired man mockingly. "Some god you are. You couldn't even kill an old man or his family members."

"Be careful who you insult, Hidan. Your god won't help you against Pein. Or have you forgotten what happened to you when you tried to challenge our leader?" asked a woman with blue hair that was adorned with a white paper rose.

"Shut the fuck up, bitch!" roared Hidan, only to be abruptly sent crashing into the side of the cave. Pein lowered his arm and faced the rest of the group, before his gaze settled on Itachi. Itachi looked up at Pein, meeting his unflinching gaze.

"Is Naruto still the last one we intend to collect?" asked the Uchiha. "If he continues to grow in strength, we will need more than two of us to capture him."

"If that's the case, then I will capture him myself. For now, leave him to his devices." Pein ordered. The others nodded and moved on to other business.

_**X-X-X**_

When Naruto's eyes finally opened, the first thing he saw was a ceiling fan slowly spinning its rotors. As he took in his surroundings, he came to realize that he was in some stranger's room. Turning to his right, he saw a bunch of kids looking at him, curiously. This only confused the blond even more, as he started to wonder where exactly he was. Suddenly, a male voice called the children away, making the young teen cringe in trepidation. Hearing the sound footsteps approaching closer to him, Naruto turned to face this new person. The man was wearing the clothing familiar to that of a monk, complete with a very large prayer bead necklace, yet he also noticed that the man had a fighter's frame. As he continued to take in the newcomer's appearance, he saw a few old scars adorning the man's arms and chest.

He tried to speak but the man stopped him, as he lifted his head and began to feed him. Naruto coughed a little from the sudden intake of food, but he managed to finish the soup nonetheless. Once finished, the man laid Naruto back down and took back the bowl.

"I know that you have questions that you want answered, but you must first regain your strength. When you collapsed, you had a severe case of dehydration, hunger, and chakra exhaustion. You will probably be at half strength in a short while, so I suggest that you just rest for now." said the man. Feeling his fatigue get the better of him once again, Naruto merely nodded and closed his eyes once again.

_**X-X-X**_

Two days had passed and Naruto was now able to sit up by himself. He was just finishing a self-examination, just to make sure that he was okay. After confirming that he was recovering without any further issues, he looked up to see the children from before, gazing at him once again. Feeling somewhat like his old playful self, Naruto held up his hand to the kids before he did some seals. In a puff of smoke, his physical appearance was that of another person. He did this a few more times, getting cheers from the kids, when a woman stepped inside the room. At first glance, her appearance suggested that she was in her late thirties. She had short brown hair, almond colored eyes, and was wearing a green blouse with a yellow skirt, which was covered by a dirty apron, which suggested that she had just finished cooking.

"Okay, that's enough bothering the patient. Go wash up, lunch is almost ready." she said. The kids all ran out of the room and made a bee-line for the bathroom. She then turned to Naruto and smiled.

"Thank you for entertaining them, even though you're supposed to be resting."

"It's okay. That technique doesn't use up much chakra, anyways." replied Naruto.

"Either way, you should relax until you're fully healed. Monk Taihō will bring up your lunch." she said.

"Thank you, uh, I'm sorry, I don't think I got your name." said an embarrassed Naruto.

The woman just smiled. "That's alright. You can just call me Katsume."

"Well, thank you, Katsume-san."

She smiled once again, and then left the room. Naruto wasn't alone for long; however, as Monk Taihō entered the room merely seconds after Katsume had left, carrying a tray of food. He placed the tray on the blonde's lap and sat down, placing his back against the wall. Naruto said a word of thanks before he dug in. As he ate, Taihō looked at the blond with amazement.

"It is amazing how quickly you have recovered. You were on the verge of death a week and a half ago, and I had to place you on a makeshift IV." Taihō said at last.

"I'm surprised that you knew how to do that. Were you a soldier or something?" asked Naruto.

"I used to be a member of the Bakuha Butai. But after a certain mission, I had my skills sealed and dedicated my life to learning the ways of peace. Still, I know a thing or two about battle field medicine."

"Sorry if I scared the kids back then. I was really out of it."

"Don't worry about it. Considering the fact that you destroyed one of Berugu's bases by yourself, you had to have used quite a bit of energy." Naruto stopped eating upon hearing Taihō's last statement, and gazed suspiciously at the man. The monk, sensing the young man's unease, raised his hands up in a placating manner. "Do not worry; I am no friend of Berugu. That man will only bring forth pain and destruction to Tsuchi no Kuni. Personally, I don't know why the daimyo has not stepped in to help Ōnoki." said Taihō.

"You don't need to worry about it. _I_ plan to do something about that." said Naruto darkly.

"Is that so? Exactly what are you going to do? Every man on Berugu's side is after you, my young jinchūriki. He has supporters within Iwagakure who will alert him if you so much as offer your services to Ōnoki."

"It doesn't matter. Berugu, his kids, his men, I'm going to bring everything down on his head, and then watch it burn to the ground. He will _**not**_ get away with what he did to my loved ones. He has to pay." Taihō looked at him carefully before sighing.

"A young man like you shouldn't have eyes so cold. Hopefully, Katsume and I can persuade you to give up this pursuit of vengeance. I believe that you're destined for greater things than some destructive vendetta." He stood and walked out of the room, leaving Naruto alone and confused.

_**X-X-X**_

Later that day, Naruto was eating dinner whilst Taihō sat against the wall meditating. The whole day had been nothing but lectures from both him and Katsume. He had stubbornly refuted each of their attempts to convince him that vengeance wasn't the answer, and stuck to his reasons. Apparently, seeing that they couldn't get through to him, they decided to just take care of him and drop the discussion. Naruto stared at the monk, who just sat there silently. It irked him to no end, and he wished that the monk would just say something. Finally reaching his limit, Naruto broke the silence.

"So what now? Are you and Katsume-san just going to ignore me?" he asked hotly.

"You are unwilling to listen to either one of us, so what would be the point of speaking? You have clearly made up your mind." replied Taihō.

"You're damn right I have! Ōnoki and your daimyo should have dealt with this when it became a problem! This man is killing people just to fulfill his own desires, and they're just letting it happen! If they won't do their jobs, then I will do it for them!"

"Do not try and make it sound like you're doing this for Tsuchi no Kuni, it will only make you look pathetic. You're clearly doing this for vengeance and there is nothing noble about it." Taihō said.

"What would you know?" exclaimed Naruto, having had enough of being judged by this monk who knew nothing about him or the hardships he had to endure.

"I would appreciate if you do not yell. I have just put the children to sleep." Katsume said, cutting in. Once she closed the door, she turned faced Naruto with a serious expression. "I know what you're going through, Naruto. I was not always caretaker of war orphans. I once used to be a shinobi trained in the art of assassinations. But everything changed when I started hunting after a man who was responsible for detonating a bomb that killed several people, including my father and my children. I still remember to this day how I watched them die right in front of me. When I learned that it was the work of bomber from Iwagakure, I became obsessed with hunting this man down, and killed anyone who came in contact with him. When I finally found him, I found out that he was taking care of a group of orphans." Naruto's eyes widened at that.

"Vengeance is like a drug, Naruto. It's addictive and it makes you felt better. But what happens once the high is gone? You will do anything to feel high again, and I mean _anything_. Those who loved you will not be able to recognize you anymore. You'll become an addict, only looking to experience that exhilarating feeling once again, not caring who gets hurts in the process." added Taihō.

"My own realization came when I held a kunai to one of those children's throats. I wanted to make Taihō feel the same pain that he made me feel. I truly wanted to do it, but in the end, I could not go through with it. They were innocent, and I was about to take their lives because of my hatred for another person. After I realized what I was about to do, and couldn't go through with it, Taihō stood in front of me and offered his life for the deaths he caused. I would have been in the right to kill him, but instead I chose forgiveness, as I believed my father and my children would have wanted that." finished Katsume.

Naruto was silent. He understood what they were saying, but how could he just forget what Berugu had done to his loved ones? Taihō and Katsume could see the inner battle that he was going through, and decided to leave him to his own devices. But before they left, Taihō had one last thing to say to Naruto.

"Like I told you before, I believe that you are destined for better things. For as long as I have lived, I have hardly been wrong about things like this. So tomorrow, I am going to take you to see someone that I believe will give you the answers that you require."

"Taihō, are you sure about this?" Katsume asked, her voice sounding nervous, leaving Naruto confused to what they were talking about.

"Yes, I believe that he is the only one who can help." answered Taihō. And with that, they left Naruto's room, the sole occupant now very curious as to what they had in store for him.

_**X-X-X**_

The next day, Taihō led Naruto through a forest. Naruto walked in silence, last night's talk still playing through his mind. After they had left, Naruto had stayed up to think about what the two adults had told him. As he compared to how he acted from before and after Berugu's attack, he realized to his horror that he was starting to act like Sasuke. That thought alone scared him, the fact that he was starting to become like his traitorous former teammate. He tried to furiously deny that he and Sasuke were starting to act alike by rationalizing that the village practically handed _everything_ to Sasuke on a silver platter whilst _he_ was barely treated humanely by the same village on a good day. But, the night only got worse as he was plagued with nightmares of Ibarra, Aisha, and others turning their backs on him, all of them calling him an imposter. And if that wasn't bad enough, he could also see the face of the Kyūbi, laughing at him, mocking him for being weak. He quickly banished those thoughts; now wasn't the time to be thinking of such morbid things. Once he became aware of his surroundings, he saw that he was now in front a huge waterfall. Taihō stood at the water's edge and turned to face Naruto.

"This is where we will meet that person I told you about. Please, step onto the water." said the monk. Naruto looked at Taihō for a moment, before walking out to the center of the lake. He stood there, confused as to what was going on, until the silence was abruptly broken by the sound of heavy footsteps. It sounded strangely familiar, like a horse's gallop. Suddenly, the waterfall parted and out stepped a large, white creature. It had the body of a horse, but had the head of a dolphin, which was adorned with five huge horn-like structures. Five large tails swished from its backside. It didn't take Naruto long to recognize who was standing before him. He was in the presence of a bijū, more specifically, the Gobi no Iruka-Uma.

_**X-X-X-X-X**_

_**Authors' Notes:**_ Thanks again to my beta reader, Toa Naruto, for your help. This was one awesome chapter after I when through it. Okay, this is a special message for my reviewers. As you know, I took down _Mizukage_. I did so to revamp it and this is the revamp. I realized that I should have started off with this first then gone into _Mizukage._ So if you're looking for me to redo _Mizukage_, then her you go. Like I said, this will be split into several arc but it will be under the _Mizukage_ banner. Anyway, I hope that is explains things.

_**Glossary**_

_**Gobi no Iruka-Uma**_ – Five-tail Dolphin Horse

_**Bakuha Butai**_ – Explosion Corps

_**Kawa no Kuni**_ – Land of Rivers

_**Kekkei Tōta**_ – Bloodline Selection


	11. Chapter 10

_**Chapter 10**_

Naruto gulped as the Gobi stood in front of him, in all of its glory. The bijū looked down at the blond with narrowed eyes, before it turned its attention to Taihō.

"**What is the meaning of this, Taihō? Are you betraying me?**" the Gobi asked, its deep voice showing that it was indeed a male.

"No, Gobi-sama, I just wanted this young man to see you. I believe that he can help you with your current predicament." said Taihō, his hands raised up in a placating manner.

"**Is that so?**" boomed the Gobi, as he looked back at Naruto. The great beast stared at him with such intensity, like he was trying to search his very soul. After a while, his eyes suddenly widened as he felt something familiar within the boy. "**I see. It's faint, but I can sense the Kyūbi within him. So it seems that we both have the same enemy.**"

"Same enemy? Do you mean the Akatsuki? Did they come after you?" asked Naruto.

"**Like the Kyūbi, I was sealed within a human, an Iwa shinobi called Han. He was hated and chased out of the village some years ago. Then he was attacked by two men in black robes with red clouds. But before they could capture us, he released me and used a suicide jutsu in an attempt to kill them.**"

"Did it work?"

"**I did not stay to see, however, I seriously doubt that his final sacrifice was successful. So, how are you going to help me? You are a target as well, do you have a plan?**" he asked.

"Sorry, but that is not my concern at the moment. I have some unfinished business to take care of first." said Naruto with a dark tone.

The Gobi paused and looked at the boy with a raised brow. "**Unfinished business?**"

"Berugu. I'm going after Maguna Berugu." clarified Naruto.

"**While you do look quite strong, you are no match for him.**" the bijū stated nonchalantly.

"Then I'll just get stronger, but I _will_ take him out; he needs to pay for what he did. He took away my family. He's _**not**_ going to get away with that." explained Naruto. The Gobi looked at him with a bit of disgust visible in his eyes. He then turned back to Taihō.

"**Why have you brought this fool before me Taihō? It's obvious that he cannot help me or himself with such destructive thoughts.**" said the Gobi with an insulting tone. Naruto was shocked to hear _another_ tailed beast dismiss him in such a manner, but the shock quickly morphed into anger.

"Hey, who do you think that you are? You have no idea who I am or what I've been through, so don't you dare that you can judge me, bullet-face! What the hell do _**you**_ know about losing something precious to you? You bijū are nothing more that destructive forces of nature!" shouted Naruto.

"**Do not speak such nonsense! It is you humans that are destructive! Do you think that we enjoy being sealed inside any of your species just to be used as weapons? If you do, then you are an even bigger fool than I thought!**"

"I don't need to listen to this." growled Naruto, before he turned away from the great beast, and made his trek back to solid ground.

"**What did you train for?**" Naruto stopped and turned back to the Gobi, confused as to what he wanted now. "**Why did you train so hard? I can see that you have pushed yourself to become stronger, but was it so you can go and fight wars? No, from what you've said earlier, you did it to protect your loved ones and those that are in trouble! I can see that much in you, yet here you are, using what you were taught to take revenge. Do you think that Han **_**didn't **_**want revenge for what Iwa's people did to him? Yes, he did, but he never struck out at his tormentors, which makes him a much better man than you will ever be. All you are doing is becoming like those weak-minded fools who cannot let go of their pain and move on with their lives!**" roared the Gobi. Naruto was enraged by his words, yet he could not dispute them. Seeing as the blond wasn't going try and deny his accusations, the Gobi scoffed and turned his back on Naruto and walked back into his shelter.

Taihō sighed and walked back to the house. He had figured that this little meeting would've made the blond realize his true calling, but it appeared that he'd misjudged him. Naruto watched him leave, and saw the disappointed look on the man's face, which only frustrated him even more. Why were they so adamant in convincing him on not getting revenge on the people who destroyed probably his only chance of having a happy life? Why couldn't they understand that he _needed_ this?

"_What do you know Naruto? Why can't you see that I need this?"_ Naruto clenched his fist at the sound of Sasuke's voice echoing in his head. Those were the very words that the Uchiha had said to him when he tried to defect. And to his dismay, they were almost identical to his own thoughts. He shook his head and banished such disheartening thoughts; he was nothing like Sasuke. The Uchiha was a spoiled brat through and through, while he had to fight tooth and nail just for the bare essentials! But as he walked back to the house, he could not help but hear the traitor's voice in his mind, over and over again.

_**X-X-X**_

Naruto shot up from his bed, covered in sweat. He took a few calming breaths before he slammed his fist onto the bed frame. The nightmares were plaguing him again, only they were getting worse. This time, it portrayed him trying to explain the reasons for his actions to his loved ones, but they wouldn't listen. Yet this time, he saw the faces of Tsunade, Jiraiya and Iruka glaring at him, calling him a monster and yelling at him to give them the _real_ Naruto back. What finally woke him up was the appearance of a thirty-foot-tall Sasuke, laughing at him. The last words the traitorous bastard said shook to Naruto to his core. "_How does it feel, Naruto, to know that you're becoming just like me?_"

Naruto threw the covers off and put on his clothes, wanting to get out of the house for some fresh air. As he sat on the front steps, looking at the night's sky, he thought about the sudden nightmares and the possible reason as to why he was having them in the first place. At first, he thought it was the Kyūbi, but then he remembered the function of his improved seal ensured that the Kyūbi could not influence him anymore. So why was he have such difficulties with these dreams? His path was the right one to take, wasn't it?

"Boy, this has got to be a first. You'd better stop thinking so hard, or your head will explode." said a familiar voice, mockingly. Surprised by the sudden outburst Naruto's head whirled around, only to lurch back in fear at what he saw. He quickly attempted to dispel whatever genjutsu he though was influencing him, and even pinched himself to see if he was still dreaming. The woman just shook her head, an amused smile visible on her visage. "Are you done yet?"

"W-What's going o-on? I saw… I saw you die." Naruto stuttered out.

"No shit. I did stab myself so I could take a couple of those bastards with me. Kami, didn't I teach you to use your head and figure things out?"

Naruto sighed, his shock shifting to a deadpan expression. "Even in death, you're still a bitch, Ibarra."

"And don't you forget it." said the late Uzumaki, before she became serious. "Now, let's get down to business. What the hell are you thinking, going after Berugu? You think a couple of jutsu and your control of the Kyūbi are going to be enough? Please tell me you're not going to go and join Ōnoki?"

"Are you here to lecture me too?" Naruto asked, his frustration returning once again.

"Don't take that tone with me, boy! You're going down a dark path and if you don't realize it now, it will be too late for you to turn back."

"So you think that I should just let this all go? He's killing people just for the hell of it! If someone doesn't stop him now, he will bring untold amounts of suffering." argued Naruto.

"Isn't that how your former friend did things? Didn't he act all noble about his thirst for vengeance, but was really lust looking out for himself?" Ibarra countered.

"I'm nothing like Sasuke!"

"I'm not so sure anymore. You're acting the same way he did when you still worked with him, if I recall. Yes, if Berugu isn't stopped, people are going to die. But still, why are you taking this responsibility and using it to justify your vengeance? Berugu will pay, but it is not your hand that will do it. You have always done things to protect those in need. Your hands were never meant to take lives at will. For when you do, then you will have become the monster that _**they**_ always said you were. Is that what you want, Naruto?"

"No. No, that's not what I want. But what am I to do, just forget that I lost my precious loved ones?" Naruto cried, his eyes beginning to glisten over with unshed tears.

"You moron, you'll never forget us. You have all the good times we spent with each other, right? So long as you cherish those memories, we will always be with you throughout your entire life. Remember your purpose, Naruto, and use that as you strength." Ibarra said, solemnly. She then walked up to Naruto and hugged him tenderly, to which Naruto hugged her back. The two stayed in each other's embrace for quite a while, as the night's stars glistened in the dark sky.

_**X-X-X**_

Naruto appeared in front of the waterfall, on top of the lake once again. It was still night time, but Naruto needed to deal with the situation now. After waking up from that talk with Ibarra, he thought about what she said, and realized that Ibarra was right. The call to end Berugu's life was strong, but it was not his way. He was not someone who could kill in cold blood, nor was he someone who spent their entire life dwelling on the past. If he was like that, then he would have hurt a lot of his tormentors back in Konoha when he had the chance. So with a heavy heart, he relinquished his need for vengeance, knowing full well that there were more important things to worry about. Gazing at the waterfall, he steeled himself for what he was about to do.

"Hey Gobi, get out here!" shouted Naruto. After getting no answer from the waterfall, he sighed. He should have known that that it wouldn't have been that easy. "Look, I want to apologize for what I said last morning. You were right about me; I allowed my pain to get the better of me and cloud my judgment. I shouldn't be wasting time on getting revenge on Berugu, not when the Akatsuki is hunting for us. I know that I'm asking for a lot out of you, but I need you to trust me." Naruto stood and waited, but he received no answer. He sighed again and decided to try again tomorrow, although he had a feeling that his first impression with Gobi had ruined any chance of gaining the tailed beast's trust. Just as he was about to set foot on dry land again, he heard the sound of the waterfall decrease in volume for a brief moment before it went back to its normal pitch. He turned around and saw the Gobi standing before him. The two stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity, before the iruka-uma broke the silence.

"**So, what's your plan?**" asked the Gobi.

_**X-X-X**_

The next morning, Taihō and Katsume found a note on the table in Naruto's room. Dreading the possible reasons for Naruto's absence, Taihō picked the note up and began to read.

_Hey, this is Naruto._

_I'm sorry that I left without thanking you for your help. I'm also sorry for raiding your pantry but the Gobi and I are leaving. By the time that you find this, we'll be long gone. I know that I should have probably told you guys what my plan was ahead of time, but I figured that this will better ensure your safety. Even though you all are brave enough to shelter the Gobi, you, Katsume, and the children would be in constant danger. The Akatsuki are extremely resilient on capturing the tailed beasts and will stop at nothing to get what they want. The Gobi and both know from first-hand experience, and we agreed that it would be best if we left without telling you, as well as to where we are going. On another note, you guys were right all along about that drug called _vengeance_; it does eat away at you. I now know that the hurt won't go away, but I will do the best that I can to move forward in my life. Again, thank you for all your help. Be safe._

Taihō smiled at the letter and handed it to Katsume, glad that his first prediction about the blond was right all along after all, and wished him a safe journey.

_**X-X-X**_

The Gobi galloped through Tsuchi no Kuni, with Naruto riding on his head, all the while talking to him. He had just finished his tale about the two Akatsuki members that came after Han. Needless to say, what the Gobi had told him was...frightening...to say the least.

"Are you serious? Han killed them both, but they rose up and continued fighting like it was nothing?" asked Naruto.

"**He was just as surprised as I was. He snapped the neck of the silver haired man and punched a hole through the masked one. Yet, they both stood back up and continued their assault. Then, the silver haired one did something that allowed any attack that targeted him get turned back on us. And to make matters worse for us, the masked ninja could use all the elements.**" replied the Gobi.

"Those are some seriously powerful missing-nin. I wouldn't want to meet them in a hurry. Do you know what village they're from?" asked Naruto.

"**I did not recognize the silver hair's hitai-ate, but the masked one's was from Takigakure. That should probably be your first stop, as the Nanabi no Kabutomushi is known to reside there.**" They rode in silence for a while before the Gobi spoke up again. "**So, where are we heading to?**"

"I was thinking Numa no Kuni, since people tend to avoid the land because of something supposedly being sealed there. I figured that would be the best place to hide you, I doubt that the Akatsuki would risk unsealing whatever is in there."

"**That's not a bad idea. Perhaps Taihō knew what he was talking about when he said that you could help.**" said the Gobi. Naruto scoffed at the beast's dismissal, but smiled nonetheless. The two continued on their way out of Tsuchi no Kuni.

_**X-X-X**_

It had been a week since leaving Tsuchi no Kuni, and securing a well-hidden home for the Gobi. Naruto was currently in a neighboring town, looking for a courier to deliver his messages to Gaara and to Shibuki. He had composed a warning for Gaara and a letter of arrival for Shibuki yesterday, in order to tell them of his plan for stalling the Akatsuki. At his current level, he was nowhere near strong enough to take any of the members head on, so the next best plan was to screw with their agenda. He figured that if he somehow got to the other jinchūriki or buji before the Akatsuki did, he could at the very least hide them away. It was the only plan that he had that could effectively affect against the Akatsuki.

In a short while, he managed to find the courier and sent out his two letters, having paid for a fast delivery. Feeling curious as to what was going on in the world, he decided to head to the local guild in order to gather information on current events. He found a promising looking place and entered, ignoring the looks he was getting as he made his way over to the information board. As he read, he noticed a few events that really surprised him. The first thing was that Gaara had become the Godaime Kazekage. While surprised, he was happy for his friend, as it meant that Gaara had finally won his village over. He made note to congratulate him after seeing Shibuki.

Another thing that he learned was that the civil wars in both Amegakure and Kirigakure were now over. Amegakure's leader was still Sanshōuo no Hanzō and his family, whereas Kirigakure was led by someone called Akira, making him the Godaime Mizukage. He noticed that there was a note added under the news bulletin about Kiri saying 'go at your own risk'. He didn't know what it meant, but he knew that he wasn't heading anytime in the near future. The last bit of news he saw was the release of Uchiha Sasuke. According to what he read, the teme had just been released from the dungeons the Fire Daimyo had sent him to, and was now back in Konoha. It also looked like he was going to be reinstated as a shinobi, which seemed completely unfair to him considering the severity of Sasuke's actions, but he didn't have time to worry about Konoha's double standards right now. After getting the information he wanted, Naruto left the guild to obtain a few supplies for his trip to Takigakure.

_**X-X-X**_

Jiraiya making his way around Tsuchi no Kuni trying to find leads to Naruto, but so far things didn't look too good as the previous town he visited had the boy's wanted posters placed everywhere. Seeing how much Berugu was offering for the boy, he needed to find Naruto now more than ever and get him out of the country before someone desperate for money caught sight of him. As he continued walking, he saw a large house off the beaten path. There, he saw several kids playing with a very attractive woman, causing him to stop in mid-step. While he _was _on an important mission, he didn't really see any harm in stopping for a while and chat with an exceptional beautiful woman. Having decided that he could use a little break, he stepped off the path and made his way to the woman.

"Excuse me." said Jiraiya, gaining the woman's attention.

"Oh hello, can I help you?" asked Katsume, good-naturedly. The children, on the other hand, looked at the man with scrutinizing eyes. Finally, one of them noticed something specifically familiar about the strange man.

"Katsume-oneechan, you need to be careful! That man is a pervert!" a little boy shouted.

"That's a horrible thing to say!" exclaimed Katsume, as Jiraiya blanched in a comical way.

"No, he's right, Katsume-oneechan!" exclaimed a girl. "He's the guy Naruto-nichan told us about! That's Ero-Sennin!" Hearing that girl call him Naruto's old nickname shocked Jiraiya, and confused Katsume. But before she could ask what the girl meant, Jiraiya was at the kids' level.

"I'm sorry, but did you say Naruto? As in Uzumaki Naruto? Is he alright? Do any of you know where he is?" Jiraiya asked with urgency, surprising the kids at how quickly "Ero-Sennin" changed attitudes.

"Wait, you know Naruto?" asked Katsume.

"Yes, I was his teacher before he was unjustly banished from his home village. I got word from one of my spies that he's in Tsuchi no Kuni, and that he's looking to take on Berugu. Please, if he's here, I need to get him out of the country as soon as possible." Jiraiya said with a dead serious expression.

"Then you need not worry about him, Gama Sennin." said voice that came from the house. As the voice's owner stepped out into the open, Jiraiya was shocked to see someone he thought was dead.

"Okotte Bakugeki no Taihō, so you're still alive. What do you mean that I don't have to worry? Where's Naruto?" Jiraiya asked again.

"He left Tsuchi no Kuni about a week ago. He was a real mess when we first found him, but now it seems that he's gotten his act in order." said Taihō, as he walked up to him and handed him the letter that Naruto wrote. Jiraiya read the letter and released a sigh of relief.

"Thank Kami that he came to his senses." Jiraiya said. He then looked back at Taihō. "You wouldn't happen to know which way he went, would you?"

"No, he left in the middle of the night."

"Well, I guess I should go before I'm caught. Thank you for the info, Taihō. The Hokage will be really happy to hear this." said Jiraiya, who the proceeded to leave. His mission was now over and it was time to report in to Tsunade. Although he was slightly disappointed that he didn't get a chance to see his student again, he was happy that Naruto was safe.

_**X-X-X-X-X**_

_**Glossary**_

_**Okotte Bakugeki no Taihō**_ – Taiho the Mad Bomber

_**Gama Sennin**_ – Toad Sage

_**Nanabi no Kabutomushi**_ – Seven-tail Horn Beetle

_**Authors' Notes**_: Here's another chapter for you. Thanks again for your help Toa Naruto. You are a godsend. Enjoy the chapter.


	12. Chapter 11

_**Chapter 11**_

Naruto let out a yelp as he dodged yet another compressed ball of water, which created another water-filled crater into the ground. The roar of the Sanbi no Kyodaigame brought his attention back to the bijū that was currently shooting at him. He couldn't believe how much trouble the Sanbi was giving him, as he had originally thought that the creature would be intelligent, and therefore reasonable, just like the Gobi. Yet to his dismay, the large turtle was acting more like a wild animal than an intelligent being. Naruto huffed in agitation and charged at the Sanbi, having enough of being used as target practice for the giant turtle. The Sanbi fired another compressed water ball at the blond, but Naruto vanished via Shunshin before it could hit him, and reappeared at the Sanbi's left side.

"Fūinjutsu: Sajō Sabaku!" Naruto called out, as a golden rope materialized from out of nowhere and ensnared the bijū. Naruto watched as the Sanbi struggled in vain to break free from the rope, which gave Naruto enough time to perform the hand seals for another fūinjutsu. "Fūinjutsu: Kuyō Shibari!" One by one, black spots appeared, circling the Sanbi with one appearing right on the creature's body, further immobilizing it. With the bijū no longer thrashing about wildly, Naruto created a dozen clones, which then performed the same chain of hand seals as their creator.

"Teikoku Suirō!" A wall of water rose and encased the Sanbi in a watery prison. The clones held prison together, whilst the original stepped towards the prison, performing a few hand seals before he placed his hand on the water construct. A line of kanji characters traveled around the huge prison right before the prison shrank down to a mid-sized orb of glass. With the dangerous ordeal finally over, Naruto let out a huge sigh of relief. As the clones dispelled, Naruto surveyed the damage; he had no doubt that someone was probably on the way here to investigate what caused such a disturbance. Without any delay, he beat a hasty retreat; his destination being the sea.

_**X-X-X**_

After traveling to a particular spot he found acceptable, Naruto threw the prison orb into the sea. Judging by the current, the waters would carry the orb far enough out to open waters before the chakra powering his seal ran out and released the beast within. As stood on the water's surface, Naruto pulled out a little book that contained information of the nine bijū, and marked check next to the Sanbi's section. The only other entry that had a check mark next to it was the Gobi. There were 'x' marks near two entries on his list, an indication that the bijū were in the grasp of the Akatsuki. The two sections belonged to the Nanabi and the Rokubi.

A month before securing the Sanbi, he traveled to Takigakure no Sato in order to speak with Shibuki. After sharing a genial greeting with Taki's leader, he had asked him about the jinchūriki for the Nanabi no Kabutomushi. With great shame, Shibuki explained that the Nanabi's jinchūriki, Fū, had been forced out of the village by its people. He was able to release her from any obligation to Taki, and let her know that she had people who cared. He also released Fū's comrades, who saw her as a human being rather than the demon she contained. A week later, however, a Taki patrol found some bodies at a battle ground near the border. He had asked for Konoha's help in the matter, and in the end, was able to identify them as Fū's comrades.

Shibuki gave his apologies to Naruto, who assured him that it wasn't his fault. The blond then asked about any missing-nin that was from his village, specifying that the missing-nin was someone who was known to be nearly impossible to kill. He was quite surprised to see Shibuki turn as white as a sheet so quickly when he mentioned that tidbit. But he could understand why when Shibuki told him about Kakuzu and specifically warned him to be very careful should he ever run into him. Apparently, Kakuzu had been alive since the term of the Shodaime Hokage. _That_ scared the blond, making him wonder how such a feat was even possible. Unfotunately, Shibuki couldn't tell him, since it was a village secret. He did, however, provide him with information on Kakuzu before he went off on his way again.

A week later, Naruto arrived at Hi no Kuni. He had gotten a lead on the whereabouts of the Rokubi no Namekuji's jinchūriki, Utakata. Apparently, he was acting as a bodyguard to a young teenage woman, when the new Godaime Mizukage sent out an Oinin team to retrieve him. Much to Naruto's dismay, he was too late once again. Whilst he was searching, he happened upon a Konoha team who were speaking to the young teenage woman Utakata was safeguarding. He managed to get close enough to listen in on the conversation, more specifically, to hear that two people in black robes with red clouds killed the Kiri Oinin and captured her master. Worse still, the descriptions she gave of the two mysterious nin were similar to that of Itachi and Kisame. Having no other reason to stay, he quickly left the scene so as not to be caught.

Breaking out of his inner thoughts, Naruto took a deep breath of the sea air before leaving for the shore. Right now, the score was two for him, and two for the Akatsuki. If he secured one more, he could derail his enemies for a while, at least until he managed to get strong enough to finally end that organization once and for all.

_**X-X-X**_

Restocked and rested, Naruto planned to get some information about the two bijū hosts in Kumogakure whilst he was still in Shimo no Kuni. Even though he felt that they were secure enough in Kumogakure, he figured that wouldn't hurt to be prepared for the worst. But as he made his way around, he overheard two shinobi talking. He could have sworn that he heard something about Suna. His interests piqued, he walked up to the two shinobi wearing the symbol of Kumogakure whom he had heard mention Suna.

"Excuse me, but I couldn't help but overhear you. Did you say something about Sunagakure? I sorry to ask you guys like this, but could you tell me know what's going on? My aunt lives there." lied Naruto.

"Then you should get going. Sunagakure was attacked like two days ago, and their Kazekage was kidnapped." said the Kumo ninja, in a mocking tone. Naruto ignored the tone and continued to listen.

"The village is still standing, though, so your aunt is probably okay. I guess having a demon in charge has _some _perks." added the other Kumo shinobi.

"So you say, but being the village's leader just made their weapon soft. He was known as a murdering psychopath before he was made a Kage, and just now he was kidnapped right in front of his people. What a loser." mocked the man, with a little chuckle. Naruto just held in his anger, knowing that acting on his urges to punch the man's lights out would do him no good. Instead, he held out his hand to the guy, to which he took it. Naruto shook his hand and then the other guy.

"Thanks a lot for the information. I'd better hurry and check on my aunt then. She's all I have in this life." Naruto left quickly and made his way toward the exit. He cursed himself for forgetting about Gaara, having thought that his friend could easily defend himself against the Akatsuki since he was now a Kage. He ignored everything and everyone, including the pained screams of the two Kumo shinobi, who were now sporting some serious burns on their hands and forearms. He needed to reach Suna as soon as possible.

_**X-X-X**_

With food pills and short stops along the way, Naruto managed to arrive in Suna within two and a half days. He easily slipped into the village and made his way around, but he could not find Temari or Kankuro anywhere. Fortunately, however, he did see a familiar face. With much stealth, he snatched the man up and disappeared, the captive struggling the entire trip. Naruto landed in a secluded place before turning to the guy he just snatched up.

"Mamoru, it's me, Naruto." he whispered. Mamoru stopped his struggling and looked out the corner of his eye. Naruto released him once the man calmed down, and he stepped back to give Mamoru some space. He was quite surprised to see his old friend.

"Holy crap, it _is_ you!" he said. Mamoru was an old friend of Ibarra who had a thing for the Uzumaki woman. Even though Ibarra was twenty years his senior, his feelings for her still held strong. He had always used to visit him as an excuse to get to see her. Ibarra knew of Mamoru's intentions though, but she never stopped it, instead she found it quite flattering. "We've been keeping our ears open just to hear if you were alright. Last we heard from that white haired guy, you left Tsuchi no Kuni." Naruto was a little wary of the fact that Jiraiya had been looking for him, but decided to put that bit of information in the back of his mind for now.

"Look, Mamoru, what do you know about Gaara's kidnapping?" asked Naruto.

"Not much. I saw a little of the battle before I was put inside one of the bunkers. I know that the guy he was fighting was on a bird and liked to use explosives."

"What about his sister and brother? Are they planning a rescue effort?"

"Word is the sister is running the defenses of Suna's borders. The brother is hospitalized, and in critical condition. Still, they did send a team after the Kazekage."

"Do you know where the kidnappers went, and who the team is?"

"They went south-east from Suna. But you should know, the rescue team is from Konohagakure. I got a look at the leader. He had silver hair that was standing up to the side, as if it was defying gravity." _That_ was something that Naruto didn't expect. He remembered that Suna and Konoha were at odds because of his banishment, and yet Suna was willing to accept Konoha's aid? But since it was Gaara that was abducted, he could see how Suna would be desperate for help.

"Thanks, Mamoru. We'll catch up later when I come back."

"Stick to the shadows, man." replied Mamoru. Naruto nodded and was gone in a puff of smoke. Outside the village, Naruto threw off his cloak, and looked in the direction that Mamoru told him with narrowed eyes.

'_That means that they're heading toward Kawa no Kuni. I'd better hurry.'_ thought Naruto, as he raced towards Kawa no Kuni, and hopefully where Gaara was being kept.

_**X-X-X**_

Naruto arrived at the hideout and saw some major damage to the entrance. But as he got closer, he saw Gaara's body lying on a boulder. Naruto rushed to his friend's side and immediately checked his vitals. He was grief-stricken when he could not feel a pulse, but his grief quickly turned into rage. He didn't know who these Akatsuki members were, nor did he care, because they were both about to die for what they did to his friend.

He cautiously entered the cave, sticking to the shadows, and saw two people in the cave. One was Chiyo, who was leaning over someone he couldn't see, and a red-haired young man. He moved in closer to get a better look, and noticed that the red-head was actually a puppet. There were also two other puppets, which were wielding swords that were currently piercing through his chest. But then, Naruto saw who Chiyo was kneeling over, and was surprised to see that it was Sakura. He noticed that she had changed since he last saw her, but that wasn't important to him at the moment. Seeing that the red-head was incapacitated, he decided it would be best if he searched for the other Akatsuki bastard. That is, until he heard the puppet talk.

"You're wasting your time, Granny. You cannot save her; my poison was injected right into her liver. Even with her antidote and medical chakra, she _will_ die." The red-haired puppet said.

"Do you really have so little faith in my abilities, Sasori? I will enjoy seeing the look on your face when she survives." replied Chiyo.

"And how do you plan to save her? No medical jutsu can stop the poison."

"Who said that I was going to use a medical jutsu?" Chiyo countered. Sasori said nothing, curious as to what his grandmother was up to. "This technique was actually meant for you, Sasori. I could not stand the misery that you went through when you were younger, living without your parents. I wanted to make you happy by giving life to those puppets next to you. Even though I would have died from the jutsu, I would have died happy knowing that you were with your parents." she said with a sad smile.

"You would sacrifice your life for this girl?" Sasori asked, still shocked at his grandmother's declaration.

"Don't be foolish. I don't have to use the full extent of this jutsu on her. Her antidote will kill the poison once she stabilizes. But I will, however, use this jutsu to bring back the Kazekage; I owe him that much for all of the pain that I caused him since the day he was born. With him as Suna's ruler, the village will prosper and become a better place for everyone to live in. He is the hope and future of our village and it is time for me to pass on and allow this new generation to take over. I know that I will not be disappointed." Chiyo said, contently. Naruto, who had heard her words, was saddened that the old woman's jutsu would kill her. He always thought that she was a cool lady to spend time with. However, he understood what she had to do and respected her wishes.

He moved out of the cave and took Gaara's body, placing him on the ground before taking a deep breath. Placing his palm on the Kage's chest, Naruto began to channel chakra into him, figuring that Chiyo would be low on chakra and would need a boost for the resurrection jutsu to work properly. Once he felt that he provided enough chakra to help Chiyo revive Gaara, he quickly sealed the chakra inside the body so that it would not dissipate. Merely seconds after he had completed his task, Naruto felt several chakra signatures coming his way. He looked at his friend one last time, and hoped that he would see him later. The blond beat a hasty retreat back to Suna, just missing Team Gai as they arrived on the scene.

_**X-X-X**_

It had been five days since Gaara's resurrection. He let out a sigh of relief as he sat alone in his office, happy to finally get away from his sister for the time being. The way she kept hovering over him, he almost wished that the lazy Nara was here. He could understand why she was worried about him, but he was a Kage, not a baby. He let out another sigh before turned to his left.

"I hope that you're not planning a prank, Naruto. I'm not in the mood." Gaara said, to what appeared to be an empty space in his room.

"I grew out of that about a year ago." replied the blond, as he dropped his cloak and came into view. The red-head offered him a seat, to which blond took. Naruto looked at his friend with a critical eye. "You still look a little tired. Did you not get enough sleep?"

"I got _too much_ sleep. My body is still adjusting to the loss of the Shukaku. So why are you still here? Aren't you worried about the Konoha nin?"

"I place a sound barrier when you entered. No one can hear us, and the genjutsu will make it look like you're alone and sleeping." explained Naruto.

"Another thing you learned while you were in Tsuchi no Kuni? You have my condolences for what happened, by the way." he added, recalling the troubling report he had gotten from one of Suna's border patrols.

"Thank you, Gaara. And yes, it was thanks to Ibarra that I've finally found a way to use genjutsu. So, from what you said earlier, I take it that someone from Konoha recognized my chakra? Do you know who it was?" he asked.

"It was the Uchiha. I believe he was attempting to copy Chiyo's technique when he noticed the foreign chakra with his Sharingan. Fortunately, it was because of _him_ that the Konoha teams were forced to leave before any investigations could be done. It also gave me a chance to test my strength and see how it was affected from the extraction." explained Gaara.

"I figured that prison would have done the teme some good. If you hadn't forced that bastard to let go of that villager, I would have taken his arm off. Thank you for accommodating those refugees, Gaara. I'm sorry if it seemed as if I were just dumping my problems onto you, I really appreciate it."

"It wasn't any trouble, I assure you. Still, with Konoha now alerted to your presence, I don't think you will find it easy to leave undetected."

"Don't worry about it, I have an exit strategy. Besides, I have a mission that I must complete." Naruto said, his tone becoming more serious than what Gaara was used to seeing from the blond.

"Care to share exactly _what _this mission is?" asked Gaara.

"I'm trying to disrupt the Akatsuki's plans, whatever they are. So far, I've secured the Gobi no Iruka-Uma and just recently, the Sanbi no Kyodaigame. I know that the Nanabi no Kabutomushi and the Rokubi no Namekuji are in the Akatsuki's possession, and now, so is the Shukaku."

"You can also add the Hachibi no Kyogyū to that list while you're at it." Gaara stated sadly.

"What are you talking about? Out of all the jinchūriki, the Hachibi and Nibi's jinchūriki are well protected and respected amongst their comrades." Naruto said.

"You've been living off the grid for a while, Naruto. Lots of things have changed. Do you remember the Hyūga abduction attempt?" At Naruto's nod, Gaara continued. "Recent intelligence has revealed that the planned kidnapping was never really supported by the Yondaime Raikage. The plot was actually conceived by the Gashira clan of Kumo. Coincidentally, this clan has a history being heavily involved with human trafficking."

"This clan sounds like they're a bunch of assholes that are in need of a severe thrashing. But what does this have to do with the jinchūriki?"

"Ē punished the Gashira clan severely for their actions, and the clan did not like that at all. They had been plotting a coup d'état against Ē's rule for years, but they finally made their move once they got help from Kiri's new Mizukage and the Akatsuki. In the end, Ē, as well as all of his supporters, was killed. Killer Bee, the jinchūriki of the Hachibi, was taken shortly after."

"T-That shouldn't be possible!" stammered Naruto, unable to comprehend what he had just heard. "Ē was said to have the strength of a bijū, just like his father. He was also known to be the fastest man alive. The Akatsuki doesn't have anyone who could really match him."

"Details are scarce, but apparently it was the leader of the Akatsuki who personally killed Ē. He was also able to do this, and still defeat Killer Bee without much difficulty. Kumogakure no Sato is now under the Gashira's clan's rule." explained Gaara. Naruto couldn't believe what he was hearing. Who the hell was this leader? How strong was he that he could single-highhandedly take on two people that were notorious for their strength and speed? During his research, he knew that both of Kumo's jinchūriki had great control of their bijū. To be able to defeat the Hachibi's host after killing the Raikage was no small feat by any means. The two sat in silence for a while, both of them contemplating the recent change in Kumo, when Gaara noticed Naruto's thoughtful expression, more specifically, the one that he had before he thought up some crazy scheme that was almost guaranteed to cause trouble.

"You're planning on going to Kaminari no Kuni, aren't you?" he asked, although he already knew his friend's answer.

"I know it isn't the best move, but I have no choice. You didn't say that the Nibi's host was captured, which means that she's still being hunted. Her safety is more important than Yonbi's at the moment. I can't let the Akatsuki get her." Naruto said, as a raging inferno blazed in his eyes.

"Very well, I know better than to argue with you. But be careful, Naruto, and try not to draw unwanted attention to yourself." replied Gaara.

"Gaara, it's me we're talking about. I can be discreet when I need to." Naruto said with confidence, before he left his office. Gaara said nothing, deciding to just wait until he got the reports from his borders. Naruto and "discreet" just did not mix.

_**X-X-X-X-X**_

_**Authors' Notes**_: Sorry for the delay but you can't rush genius. Again, thanking Toa Naruto for your help. Without your help, this revamp would be bland. Enjoy the new chapter.

_**P. S.**_ I got word from a reviewer that a group who calls themselves 'Critics United' is the reason behind this little thing with the site. Now, I don't mind critics. If you can criticize me in a positive way then I listen and I attempt to better my skills. However, most of the critics on this site are nothing but haters. I, myself, do not use a lot of lemons. Most of my stuff is tamed, at best, but those that do lemons do put out some really great stories. Now because this group has an issue with it, everyone else has to suffer. I really don't know what your issue is 'Critics United' but maybe you can explain it to everyone so that they don't bash you. You've got to have a reason for what you're attempting to do and we all would like to hear it.

_**Glossary**_

_**Sanbi no Kyodaigame**_ – Three Tailed Giant Turtle

_**Nanabi no Kabutomushi**_ – Seven Tailed Rhinoceros Beetle

_**Rokubi no Namekuji**_ – Six Tailed Slug

_**Gobi no Iruka-Uma**_ – Five Tailed Dolphin Horse

_**Hachibi no Kyogyū**_ – Eight Tailed Giant Ox

_**Kawa no Kuni**_ – Land of Rivers

_**Shimo no Kuni**_ – Land of Frost

_**Techniques**_

_**Fūinjutsu: Sajō Sabaku**_ – Sealing Technique: Locking Bondage Stripes - Binds an enemy with a chakra chain. A mid-level restraint jutsu. The practitioner raises his/her palm up to the target and closes his/her hand into a fist. The spell calls forth a yellow energy in the form of very thick rope to ensnare an opponent.

_Fūinjutsu__: __**Kuyō Shibari**_ – Sealing Technique: Nine Sunlight Traps - Kuyō Shibari is primarily used to disable. The practitioner creates eight black holes with purple outlines that emit spiritual energy in the personal space surrounding the target, with the ninth black hole manifesting itself in the center of the target's chest. The intended point is to severely immobilize the target.

_**Teikoku Suirō**_ – Imperial Water Prison – A much larger version of the Suirō no Jutsu. It is similar to the original that the user has to keep his hands on the prison.


	13. Chapter 12

_**Chapter 12**_

Sasuke stood on a tree branch, his eyes scanning the road. He knew that it wouldn't be long before he caught sight of his target. All the other areas were out of the question as it would have been too easy, and the Uchiha also knew that the person was trying to keep a low profile. Traveling through Kawa no Kuni was the only path his target could take without raising suspicion. All and all, he couldn't wait for _him_ to show, as the Uchiha intended on making the bastard pay for all the trouble he had endured for the past two and a half years.

Not only did he lose to that fool, but his bid to get stronger was put on hold because of the injuries he sustained. Then, as he was healing, the daimyo of Hi no Kuni decided to poke his nose in business that didn't pertain to him. He was thrown into a dark hole, guarded by both ANBU and samurai, and was forbidden to train. He was denied power and it infuriated him to no end. When he finally returned to Konoha, he was denied power yet again, when that bitch of a Hokage and the shinobi council stalled his return into the shinobi forces. It was Danzō who got them to allow him back on active duty, but only with heavy stipulations placed on him. It had been only four months, and he was _still _at the same level in terms of strength before he was injured. Everything that he went through, every injury, injustice and humiliation that he had suffered, was all _his_ fault. The reason he hadn't made any progress after his failed attempt to defect was all because of _him, _and Sasuke's pride demanded retribution.

"Your chakra has been spiking every now and then. If you don't calm yourself, we will be found out." said someone close to him. Sasuke turned slightly to see it was none other than his fellow teammate, Sai, a pale skinned teen that was the same age as him. He mostly wore black and gray, his stomach exposed for all to see. The only other distinguishable characteristic to him was that he had a tanto blade strapped to his back. Sasuke ignored his comrade in favor of watching the road. Sai merely sighed at the avenger's attitude, and took to looking at his back. "Danzō-sama will not be pleased if we are caught. You know of the daimyo's decree. If you harm or kill Uzumaki Naruto, you will never achieve your ambition, the Hokage will see to that."

Sasuke ignored him, making Sai sigh once; the last "loyal" Uchiha just would not listen to reason. Nonetheless, he readied himself in order to stop Sasuke if he indeed went too far. He didn't have to wait too long when Sasuke suddenly became alert and leapt off the branch, landing in the way of a person who had a hood over his head. Sai joined Sasuke and stood to his right. The unknown person saw Sasuke's hand on his blade, and tensed in preparation for any possible attack. Sasuke glared at the unknown traveler and activated his Sharingan.

"Remove your hood." he demanded, tersely. The person remained still for a moment, but relented in Sasuke's demand, removing the hood to reveal Naruto's face staring back at the Konoha ninja. Sasuke's eyes narrowed even more at the sight of the blond.

"It's been a while, Sasuke. I figured that you would wait for me to pass this way." said Naruto calmly. He idly noticed how Sasuke's grip tightened. "Are you planning on doing something?"

"Sasuke, you need to stand down. Do not forget what will happen if you act recklessly." Sai warned. Sasuke ignored him, as he dashed towards Naruto at an alarming speed. He was in front of Naruto in an instant, his blade moving through the air with the intent on ending the blonde's life. But it was all for naught, as the blade sliced through Naruto, making him disappear with a small gust of wind. Sasuke and Sai were shocked, even more so when they realized that Naruto was now behind them. Sasuke wasn't easily deterred from his vendetta, however, as he twisted his sword, and thrust it behind him. Again, he was met with failure, as the "Naruto" he stabbed was another after image. Naruto, reappearing in front of the duo once again, turned to face Sasuke. With his Sharingan whirling, Sasuke renewed his attack. As this was going on, Sai stood on the sidelines and watched with amazement as Naruto avoided all of Sasuke's attacks as if he were sparring with an academy student. The Ne operative knew that Sasuke was no slouch; even he had to admit that Sasuke was strong and had the potential to get stronger. However, this Naruto character appeared to be a lot stronger, which was not how everyone had described him. Gone was the idiot everyone had labeled him as, and in his place was a growing threat. Sai made a mental note to tell Danzō about this new development.

After another failed attempt to behead his opponent, Sasuke stopped to catch his breath, whilst Naruto just stood there, looking like he was barely winded. The blond sighed and faced his formal rival.

"You need to stop this, Sasuke." said Naruto, coolly.

"You think that I will stop this? After all that you have done to me, you think that you can just walk away?!" snarled Sasuke, sounding more and more like an enraged animal.

"It isn't my fault that your pride is hurting. I've moved on, and I suggest you do the same." was the emotionless reply, which only served to make Sasuke angrier, his Sharingan looking as if it were burning with fire. He ran at Naruto with the intent to kill, throwing his blade like a spear once he drew near enough. Naruto countered by throwing a kunai from under his robes, managing to redirect his enemy's blade, the weapon stabbing into the ground. Undeterred by the loss of his weapon, Sasuke charged his Chidori whilst Naruto formed a Rasengan. As the two jutsu were about to clash, Naruto felt that something was off. He flared his chakra and watched as the Sasuke in front of him vanished. The sound of screeching birds coming from behind was Naruto's only warning. He turned to see Sasuke behind him, his arm bathed in lightning nature chakra, merely seconds away from piercing through his chest from behind. With such a close proximity, there was no chance that Naruto could safely evade Sasuke's attack. Yet, something suddenly appeared in between them, along with a force that began to push them away. Naruto knew that particular feeling from past experience, and quickly got away.

"Hakkeshō Kaiten!" a voice shouted, before a spinning dome of chakra blasted Sasuke away. The Uchiha hit the ground and skidded across its surface, finally coming to a stop a few feet away from the ex-Konoha nin.

"Sasuke-kun!" shouted a female voice. Shortly after, three more people appeared onto the scene, putting Naruto even more on edge. The owner of female voice that had shouted was none other than Sakura Haruno, who was busy checking Sasuke over. The Uchiha paid no attention to her, and instead pushed her away to get back on his feet, glaring hatefully at the interloper who had stopped him from getting his revenge. Said person glared right back, not intimidated in the least.

"What do you believe you're doing, _genin_ Uchiha? You _know_ that Uzumaki Naruto is off limits; the fire daimyo decreed it himself! Yet, you deliberately went against his orders, do you have any idea of what the repercussions for your little stunt, and how they could affect our village?! We're already on thin ice as it is!" shouted Neji. Sakura was about reprimand Neji for berating Sasuke when she caught sight of Naruto. Needless to say, she was shocked at how much her former teammate had changed.

"Naruto? Naruto is that really you?" she asked, to which the blond merely scoffed and pretended he didn't see her. The cold reaction made Sakura reel back, not expecting the hyperactive knucklehead she once knew to act in like that to her. Naruto remained where he stood, keeping a fair distance away from the group, even when Neji turned to face him.

"It's been a while, Neji." said Naruto, breaking the awkward silence that had settled in.

"That it has, Naruto. I assume that Gaara has thanked you personally for your role in saving his life?" the Hyūga prodigy asked. Naruto just smirked at him, and nodded.

"So, the daimyo is on my side, huh? I knew that he was pretty pissed off with the village two and a half years ago."

"He has been keeping a closer eye on us ever since you were banished."

"So then, what are obaa's orders regarding me?" asked Naruto.

"She doesn't have any _official_ orders, but it was heavily _encouraged_ that we make sure that you're safe." Tenten piped in.

"Yes, the Godaime Hokage worries about you." added Lee.

"Well, you can let her know that I'm fine. I've been keeping myself busy with a mission of my own."

"Care to share on what exactly that mission is?" asked Neji.

"Not really. Besides, something tells me that Ero-sennin will find out about it soon enough. While I'm glad that we could talk like this again, I have somewhere urgent to be."

"The hell you **do!** We're not done yet!" Sasuke exclaimed. Everyone tensed and prepared to intervene at any moment, when Sai suddenly appeared behind the unstable Uchiha, a kunai pressed against his throat.

"_Yes, you are Sasuke_." Sai said with a dead serious voice. "You are already in trouble with the Hokage, and Danzō-sama will be just as furious with you. You will stand down, _**now**_, or I will make you." Sasuke glared at Sai, but knew that the ink using shinobi was serious enough to carry out his threat. He also knew first hand that whenever Danzō was angry with someone, he showed that person just how angry he was, physically. And despite his outward appearance, the warmonger was still a force to be reckoned with. Yet, despite the circumstances, Sasuke turned his attention back to Naruto, glaring hatefully at him.

"This isn't over, _dobe_. One day, we will settle things." growled Sasuke, whilst unconsciously spiking his killer intent. Naruto just gave him a flat look, before a wide grin stretched across his face.

"You need to get a life, _teme_. I won, you lost, get over it." And with that, Naruto vanished in a puff of smoke, leaving everyone shocked at what they witnessed. Tenten was the first to speak.

"Was that a Kage Bunshin?" Neji just chuckled, while Lee went on about Naruto's youthfulness. Sasuke just glared at the spot where the clone once stood, mentally berating himself for not being able to figure out that he had been fighting a clone the entire time. It irked him greatly that Naruto was able to fool his Sharingan, and make a complete fool out of him. Sasuke swore that the next time he came across Naruto; he would make the blond pay for humiliating him. Sakura looked at Sasuke with concern; she wanted to tell him to relax, or else he would get into more trouble, but after seeing him act so violently, she was too scared to even approach him.

_**X-X-X**_

In Gyōkai no Kuni, Naruto received the memories of the clone that had confronted Konoha's relief team. He was glad that he decided to send a few clones towards all of the borders of Kaze no Kuni as a diversionary tactic. The real reason he had decided to go towards Gyōkai no Kuni was because it was not a route one would normally take, since the shinobi of Amegakure patrolled the land and rarely allowed visitors to pass. As he processed the information, he had to shake his head at what he learned. Sasuke's attitude was much worse than he had originally thought. He remembered what the Uchiha told him days before he was banished, and had hoped that prison would have set Sasuke straight, but he sorely mistaken. He also saw that Sakura was still the same as well, swooning over the Uchiha as if he were Kami's gift to the world. He sighed at what had become of his ex-teammates as he pulled his hood tighter over his head. He had a ways to go before he reached Kaminari no Kuni, and he couldn't afford to be distracted with such thoughts.

_**X-X-X**_

Naruto managed to get into Kumogakure without too much trouble. He was somewhat disappointed that the security wasn't as effective as he had expected, but wasn't about to complain about it now that he was inside. As he walked through the mountain village, he could see that things weren't looking too good for the inhabitants. The villagers looked unhappy, whilst some of the shinobi looked angry and frustrated. Overall, he didn't like the feel of the village as a whole; it reminded him of Nami no Kuni when it was still oppressed by that corrupt businessman. It was as if the Gashira clan had broken the village, which wasn't a pretty sight considering that it was one of the five great ninja villages. Shaking those depressing thoughts away for the time being, Naruto ducked into an alley way, blending in with the shadows, and created two clones once he knew that no one was watching. His clones then used the Henge no Jutsu, with one changing into a man, and the other transforming into a dark skinned woman.

"Okay, I need you two to find out everything out about the jinchūriki of the Nibi no Bakeneko. If you gain any other useful information, that would be fine, but the top priority is to find out if the Nibi is still in play." Naruto told his clones. They both nodded and left the alley, leaving Naruto to stay hidden and wait.

_**X-X-X**_

The male clone was making his way through the village, when he saw a construction area and decided to search for information there. As he was about to cross into the area, two Kumo-nin stopped him.

"Sorry, but this area is restricted area. It will be open to the public soon enough." one of them said.

"Oh, sorry about that, I was curious about the area and I was hoping to get some work. I also wanted to know if the rumors were true." said the clone.

"What rumors did you hear? Who are you anyways?" the other asked, staring suspiciously at the clone.

"My name is Madura, and I'm originally from Takigakure no Sato. I used to work at a ramen stand with my father. That is, until the jinchūriki of Nanabi no Kabutomushi killed him whilst she went on a rampage. I tried to move on, but I just couldn't live there anymore, even after she was banished. I heard that the Gashira clan expelled their jinchūriki, so here I am." explained the now-identified Madura.

"Yeah, we got rid of them and their supporters. We even got a couple of them locked away at Fuyū Ishi prison. You've got nothing to worry about, Kumogakure is a safe place now that those demons are gone." sneered the first Kumo-nin.

"Them? Kumo had more than one jinchūriki?"

"The Hachibi no Kyogyū's jinchūriki, Killa Bee, is probably dead. The Nibi no Bakeneko's jinchūriki, Nii Yugito, on the other hand, is still running around somewhere in Kaminari no Kuni. I know this because she killed a few of our patrols. Still, it's only a matter of time before those Akatsuki guys finally catch her." said the second Kumo nin.

"Yeah, she won't be on the run for long with those guys after her. They are some real serious guys, especially their leader. I don't even know what type of jutsu he used that defeated Ē and Killa Bee, but I hear that he came out of the battle completely unharmed. I wouldn't want to get on their bad side, that's for sure."

"Wow, you guys make this guy sound like a god or something. Still, is there any opening for work in this area?" Madura asked.

"Sorry, but not right this moment. If you're looking for work, you will have to go to the administration building."

"Okay then, thank you for the info." With that, Madura waved goodbye to the Kumo-nins and left the area.

_**X-X-X**_

The female clone could only roll her eyes at the looks she was getting from some of the men she passed. While she could have attracted one of them and gotten the much needed information from the sap, she was looking for someone different, someone that wasn't a big supporter of the Gashira clan. After a while, she came upon two Kumo genin who were spraying paint on a wall. The words 'Killa Bee Forever' told her of which side they supported.

"Such behavior is kind of childish for a genin, don't you think?" she said, alerting them. They turned to face her, and were somewhat amused at how they relaxed once they saw here. Probably because they thought that "she" was a civilian, but that was beside the point. She looked at the graffiti and scoffed. "Besides, that is amateurish work if you ask me."

"You think you can do better?" challenged one genin. She grinned and made her way to another wall. Holding out her hands, the two genin gave her the spray cans, and then stepped back to watch as she went to work.

"So, aren't you two worried about what the Gashira clan would do to if they ever catch the both of you doing this?" she asked.

"Like we care. Those Gashiras are nothing more than traitors. Ē-sama and Killa Bee were our protectors; they kept us strong and safe." the male genin stated, passionately.

"They are nothing more than jealous children, all because they had failed at everything that they tried to do. Now with Ē-sama gone, they can continue their plans to acquire Konoha's Byakugan without anyone to stop them." added the female genin.

"The Hyūga clan's dōjutsu? Why would we need that?"

"You got me, because I think that we're already the strongest of the villages. We don't need some stupid dōjutsu from Konoha of all places. But with the Gashiras, it'll only be a matter of time before they go after one of them Hyūgas to get that bloodline." said the young male genin. The woman frowned, but quickly hid it, just as she put the finishing touches to her work and stepped out of the way to show off her masterpiece. The two young ninja were shocked to see just how good it was. The woman just smirked at their gob smacked expressions.

_**X-X-X**_

Naruto felt the memories of his clones the moment they dispelled in a secluded location. What he had learned from them was a bit disturbing. The first bit was the leader of the Akatsuki. He didn't get a description of the man's abilities or appearance, but if he was strong enough to take on both Ē and Killa Bee with little difficulty, then he needed to stay clear of that man until he got stronger. The second was the Gashira clan's obsession with the Byakugan. He owed the Hyūga clan, as they were one of his biggest supporters against his banishment, and knew they deserved to know about the future trouble that was heading towards them. Luckily for him, he had also learned that some of Ē's supporters were still alive. All he needed to do was find his way to Fuyū Ishi prison. It was time that they got an early release for good behavior.

_**X-X-X**_

The Fuyū Ishi prison was built in a crumbling mountain, held straight with heavy duty chakra conductive wires surrounding the entire perimeter. Four bridges led to and off the mountain, which was hollowed out and separated into three levels. The first level held the guards and the command center. The second level was where the prisoners were held, the containment area designed as a spiraling column of rock and metal that allowed the prisoners to walk around as they pleased. The third level was another level called the "suicide level". In the event that the prisoners ever rebelled, the thousands of explosive notes that lined the support beams would detonate, catalyzing the prison's destruction. The prisoners had their chakra sealed and, their bodies weakened, with the use of seals. With that and the constant guards moving around the prison, escape from Fuyū Ishi was all but impossible.

A young man walked down the spiraling stairs with two guards right behind him. He had short black hair, brown eyes, and a narrow nose. He wore a standard Kumo shinobi uniform with the Gashira clan symbol on the shoulder and the back. A long-bladed katana was in his hand. The man moved with a purpose, a serious expression on his face. In no time, he had reached his destination and stood in front of a particular cell.

Inside the cell were two people, who looked up to see who had blocked their light. They were in the middle of playing a game of shogi, and gave the three men an annoyed glance for interrupting them. One of the inmates was a man who looked to be in his late forties, with fading brown hair and gray eyes. The other was a young woman of sixteen; a dark skinned beauty that had long green hair and one amber eye, her other eye covered by an eye patch. The duo continued to stare at the three, before they went back their game. That is, until the young man used his katana to knock the game off the crate they were using as a table. The girl just sighed, before facing them once again.

"Well, what brings you to my cell _this time,_ Akichi?" she asked with a bored tone.

"I've grown tired of your games, Yayoi. Why is it that you deny me at every turn?" Akichi asked.

"I thought she made herself perfectly clear when she kneed you in the sack." the elderly man said with mirth. Several others chuckled at the comment.

"Shut your mouth, old man!" roared Akichi, before turning back to Yayoi. "I'm giving you one last chance. Join me, and I will get you out of this place. Pledge yourself to me, and you will become more notorious than your uncles." Yayoi merely smirked at him.

"By Kami, how much more pathetic can you get? You think that I don't know what you _really_ want? You don't give a damn about me, what you want is right here." Yayoi said while pointing to her covered eye. "You're just as pathetic as your father and you brother. Your father failed in gaining the Byakugan, and your brother failed to be chosen as the next container of the Hachibi no Kyogyū. You, just like your family, are nothing but a long string of failures, and I _never p_ledge anything to failures." The inmates cheered at her words, which only served to enrage Akichi.

"Get her out of there, and prepare a room for the medics and myself! I'll rip that damn eye out of her!" As the guards made their move, another guard came running down the stairs.

"Akichi-sama, the clan compound has been set ablaze!"

"What?! What about my father and brother, what has happened to them?" demanded Akichi.

"They were at the Raikage tower at the time. Your father is requesting your presence." said the guard. Akichi nodded and began to leave, only to stop for a brief moment to make a motion to the two guards. They nodded and proceeded to open the cell. Yayoi prepared to fight the two hired muscles, when she felt something on the back of her neck. She knew that feeling and was confused as to why it was occurring now. Still, she wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth. She called on her chakra and covered herself in lightning. The two surprised men didn't have time to comment before they were blasted out of the cell by Yayoi's Rariatto. Both of their throats were crushed as they fell lifelessly to the bottom. Akichi heard the commotion and looked at what was causing it, only to be met with the sight of a free Yayoi. Yayoi looked at him and charged.

Akichi and another guard's shock faded quickly as they reached for their weapons. The guard was too late however, as Yayoi's arm punched through his chest, her fingers jutting out like a spear. Akichi brought his katana down in attempt to cut Yayoi down whilst she was pinned, but the kunoichi was no longer there by the time the blade sank into the dead prison guard. Without a sound, she was behind him, her hand grasping his neck tightly. She lifted him up with ease, and slammed him down as hard as she could. She held him there, staring into Akichi's frightened eyes.

"This is for my family. Raiton: Jibashi!" A wave of electricity shot from Yayoi and enveloped Akichi. He screamed in agony as the lightning coursed through his body. Yayoi said nothing as she held the technique for as long as she could, before the smell of burning flesh became too much for her to handle. She dropped the corpse and quickly made her way up to the control room, leaving Akichi's charred body as if it were rubbish. It took her a while, but she managed to reach the control room without any trouble, but was shocked at what she saw on the inside. The guards who ran the room were out cold, and the seals that cut off the prisoners' chakra and strength were disabled. Wasting no time, she unlocked all the cells, knowing that she would need all the help she could get in order to escape.

She quickly made her way to the top and was shocked once again by what lay before her. The ANBU that were stationed to guard the top, and the connecting bridges, were tied up and out cold. Seeing the guards knocked out for a second time worried Yayoi, but she decided to not waste time worrying about it; there would be more time for contemplating just who was her mysterious benefactor later. It didn't take long for others to arrive to her position, and once everyone had gathered, she led them off Fuyū Ishi and out of Kumogakure no Sato.

_**X-X-X-X-X**_

_**Authors' Notes**_: Here's the new chapter. Thanks again, Toa Naruto, for your great beta reading.

_**Glossary**_

_**Gyōkai**__**no Kuni**_ – Land of Industry

_**Kaminari no Kuni**_ – Land of Lightning

_**Fuyū**__**Ishi**_ – Floating Rock

_**Dōjutsu**_ – Eye Technique

_**Techniques**_

_**Rariatto**_ – Lariat - The user charges at his opponent, striking them with a Lariat move, which can be coated in chakra. A successful strike can blow away a target's entire chest with a direct hit. The attack is rather straightforward, but very quick and powerful.

_**Raiton: Jibashi**_ – Lightning Release: Electromagnetic Murder - This technique allows the user to create a wave of electricity from their hands. The user can vary its power from a small surge to shock an opponent to a powerful stream of lightning capable of ripping through solid rock. It is ideal to use in conjunction with a water technique.


	14. Chapter 13

_**Chapter 13**_

The escape from Kumogakure wasn't as hard as the escapees thought it would be. They were able to get out whilst everyone in the village was busy with the fire, and apparently some other incident near the Raikage Tower. They ran throughout the night in order to gain some distance from their would-be pursuers; it made things for them easier since most of the prisoners were shinobi. Near the end of the day, they managed to find a decent hiding place that had plenty of wild game they could hunt for food. Even with the sun rising, they would be well hidden from pursuits.

Yayoi stared into the forest, as if she was searching for something, or rather _someone_. After going over the escape in her head countless times, she realized that the whole thing was unplanned. It was as if someone had just charged in blindly and simply got lucky. The guards at the prison were some of the best that Kumo had to offer, so it wouldn't have been easy for someone to take them all out and free the prisoners. From what she could tell, the jailbreak was not done by one of her allies; it had to have been the work of someone else. So deep were her thoughts that she flinched when something touched her. She saw her cell-mate, Saito Oto, holding a plate of food. She relaxed a little, before she returned to her searching. The man just chuckled.

"You need to eat something, Yayoi, in order to regain your strength." said Saito.

"I'm not hungry." she retorted.

"Something on your mind?"

"Our escape, it wasn't done by someone from within the village that's still loyal to my late uncle. Everything was rushed and sloppy, which isn't the modus operandi for someone skilled in extraction. Our mysterious benefactor had to have been an amateur." explained Yayoi.

"You think that it was done by an outsider?" She was about to answer Saito when she caught sight of something from the corner of her eye, and activated her Raiton no Yoroi in preparation for battle. The others were instantly on alert.

"I know that you're here! Come out, now!" Yayoi ordered. Instantly, a cloaked figure stepped out into the open with its hands up, before it removed the hood that covered its face with one hand. Yayoi was surprised to see a blond boy about the same age as her. She couldn't help but blush as she took in his attractive appearance, but quickly got herself under control, leveling a glare at the stranger. "Who are you?!"

"My name is Uzumaki Naruto. I'm here to see if you could possibly help me." said Naruto.

"Why should we even help you in the first place? For all we know, you could be working for the Raikage!" demanded Saito.

"Well, how about the fact that I was the one who gave all of you your early release? And I also took the liberty of delaying the pursuit teams that would have caught up to your little party by now. For the record, I wouldn't expect any type of search parties from the village for at least two months, considering how the roads are right now. This will only make the current Raikage even more hard-pressed into finding you, Yayoi, especially since the Gashira clan is very eager to get you back under their control." explained Naruto, making everyone tense up.

"So, you're here to get my eye as well?" Yayoi asked with an edge.

"The way I see it, _Jashin's Key_, and the many other fūinjutsu you gained, are a lot safer with you than out in the open. As it stands, there isn't anyone who practices _that_ _religion_ left, and I would like to keep it that way. Akihiko's plans for an immortal army would have been disastrous for the Elemental Nations, and then my clan's work would have been all for nothing."

"Your clan? You mean to tell me you're really from _that _clan?" Yayoi looked Naruto up and down before narrowing her eye further. "I know a bit about the Uzumaki clan, and I know that all of its members are known to have red hair. And unless my eyesight is failing me, you don't have the right hair color to be an Uzumaki, _Blondie_."

"I know _that_!" he said, testily. "Apparently, I take after my father in the _looks_ department, but I really am a member of the Uzumaki clan. If I wasn't, then how would I know that the seal that was used to weaken the prisoners is an Uzumaki seal called Rīchi no Shushi, designed to slowly absorb the victim's chakra and life force to the point that they would eventually die? All of you should be grateful that I intervened when I did; a few more years and the seals would have killed everyone here." He mentally thanked Ibarra for forcing him to study his clan's history, as he saw that his knowledge of the prison's restraining seal managed to get some positive reactions from the group, including Yayoi as she deactivated her Raiton no Yoroi.

"Okay, so you really are an Uzumaki. So, what is it that you want for me?"

"It's said around the village that you and Nii Yugito are very close, like sisters. I need to know where she would go to hide out in the event that she is being hunted by assassins. This organization known as Akatsuki is after her for the Nibi no Bakeneko and I need find her before they get to her first."

"Yugito's still alive?!" Yayoi asked with shock, her question surprising the others behind her. The shock soon turned to relief, with Yayoi being the most relieved of them all. She and the Nibi jinchūriki had been friends for a long while, was worried that Yugito had already been captured by the Akatsuki had whilst she was imprisoned.

"You said that you wanted to stop the Akatsuki from getting her? Are you saying that they're still hunting her?"

"That seems to be the rumor that's floating around Kumo. I need to get her into hiding before they corner her." answered Naruto.

"You may find that harder than you think. Yugito is a very confident and proud shinobi, and won't stand for being hunted by anyone. She'd most likely lead them into a trap of some sort." explained Yayoi explained. Naruto sucked his teeth in frustration at that. Didn't this Yugito realize just how dangerous these people were?

"Is there a place that she likes to use for an ambush?" He asked with urgency.

"There is an abandoned city called Tsuki Kakō Machi, located in Shimo no Kuni. She's used that location several times because of the sewer system that they have there; it's big enough for her to use the abilities of the Nibi to their fullest potential. She used it before against some shinobi from Shimogakure no Sato."

"Thanks, I'll make sure that she's okay." said Naruto, as he made to leave as fast as he could.

"Wait a minute." Saito called out, stopping Naruto in his tracks. "Why are you doing this? You have no connection to Yayoi, Yugito, or Kumogakure. Why would you do this for someone who you don't know?"

"Well, you're wrong about that." said Naruto, channeling a portion of the Kyūbi's chakra, shocking everyone as they gazed into his red silted eyes. "Yugito and I share _this_ connection. I may not know her, but I understand what she is going through. The Akatsuki are hunting us down like beasts, and it has got to stop. If the villages aren't willing to stand up for their own jinchūriki, then _I_ will." Without saying another word, Naruto ran into the dense forest. Everyone looked at the spot he left through, curious about the boy that had saved them. Some thought he was a fool, but nonetheless wished him luck against the Akatsuki. Saito was most intrigued by the young Uzumaki, and made note to remember his name. Yayoi stared at the place where the blond once stood, placing a hand on her cheek.

"He… was kind of cute." Yayoi said softly. Everyone that heard looked at her strangely, and was shocked to see a small blush on her face.

_**X-X-X**_

Two men walked down a trail, hidden by trees and tall grass. It was summer in Shimo no Kuni, and the forest was lush with greenery. The shorter of the two was carrying an injured and bloody young woman over his shoulder. His partner walked a few feet behind him, complaining about every little thing that bothered him; further agitating the shorter one's already frazzled nerves. The temptation of killing his partner was at its strongest, since they were so close to their hideout. Finally at his wits end, he turned around and glared at his partner.

"You need to be silent, Hidan. You are starting to make me angry." sneered the man. The one called Hidan just scoffed at him.

"So what?!" demanded Hidan. "I can talk as much as I want. It's not like you can actually kill me, Kakuzu." Kakuzu growled and was about to knock his head off, when he noticed something. He looked toward the grassy area, his eyes narrowed at something unseen. Hidan looked at Kakuzu curiously, but quickly became annoyed. "What the hell are you looking at?" Kakuzu didn't answer him.

"You can come out now. I know that you have been shadowing us for some time." Kakuzu called out. Suddenly, two blurs appeared in front of Hidan, surprising the silver haired Akatsuki member.

"Ōdama Rasengan!" shouted the two young boys, as they shoved the large spiraling chakra sphere into Hidan's chest. The man screamed in agony as the technique ground into his flesh, the force behind the jutsu sending the man flying deep into the forest, the trees doing nothing deter his momentum. Kakuzu was impressed with the technique, especially with the effect it had on Hidan. He turned back to face his attackers, when one of them burst into smoke.

"Spiky blond hair, three whisker marks on each cheek; you're the Kyūbi's jinchūriki, Uzumaki Naruto." said Kakuzu.

"And you are Kakuzu, missing-nin from Takigakure no Sato, right?" asked Naruto. Kakuzu looked at the blond, mildly surprised that the young man knew his name.

"You know who I am?"

"Yeah, I know a lot a great deal about you. While the council of Taki didn't give me much to go on, I know that you've been around since the Shodaime Hokage's reign. You actually tried to assassinate him at one time, but failed. That's kind of ambitious of you, thinking that you could kill one of the strongest shinobi of that time."

"It was at a time of war, everyone was making moves for power and we were a small ninja village. I did what was asked of me. So, why show yourself after so long?" questioned the former Taki-nin.

"I actually came for the woman on your shoulder. Also, I have a message for you and the rest of Akatsuki."

"I'm listening." said Kakuzu, looking for some cheap laughs.

"I think that you guys need to take a permanent vacation. Your hunts for us jinchūriki are about to end, because I refuse to allow them to continue. So tell your boss to go back underground, and stop whatever he or she is planning." said Naruto. Kakuzu merely looked at him before he chuckled.

"You can tell my leader your message in person. Once my partner returns, you _will_ be coming with us, whether you like it or not. And seeing as you're going to be traveling with us, your first request is denied."

"I figured that would be your answer, but don't think that your immortality will keep me from rescuing her." the blond retorted, surprising Kakuzu. "Oh yeah, the Gobi told me a bit about you and your partner. That's why, I'm doing this!" Six kunai fell from the sky and surrounded Kakuzu. Kakuzu looked down at the kunai for just a second and that is all Naruto needed. He dropped down from above and grabbed Yugito before the Naruto in front of Kakuzu activated the six kunai. A seal appearing underneath him and he was suddenly electrocuted by thousands of volts of electricity, causing him to freeze up. Naruto ran away quickly. As he ran, he created two more clones and left them behind to deal with the two "immortal" shinobi. Hidan returned moments later, in a foul mood. He had a sizable hole in his chest and was coughing up blood.

"Where are you?! Where the _**fuck**_ are you?!" roared Hidan. He looked past Kakuzu and saw three identical copies of his target. When the three blonds saw that they had the foul-mouthed immortal's attention, they blew raspberries at him, enraging him even further. Hidan ran pass the trapped Kakuzu, intent on killing the two responsible for the gaping hole in his chest. Kakuzu cursed his partner's idiocy, as he began to use his Raiton nature chakra to neutralize the trap. He needed to stop Hidan and get back to capturing the two jinchūriki.

_**X-X-X**_

Naruto sighed as he activated the barrier that Ibarra had taught him; coincidentally it was the same barrier she used to protect her town from Iwa. The barrier gave off a mirror type illusion that reflected the image of the outside environment, and hid their chakras from sensor shinobi as well. The only way that the caster could be found was if the enemy stumbled upon the barrier themselves and manages to cut through it. Luckily, Naruto had found a place that was a fair distance off the path. He wanted to keep going, but his clones' destruction made him rethink his plans.

Hidan was just a reckless killing machine that was easily riled, falling for the most simplest of traps and ploys. His only method to attack was to hack and slash with his scythe, which was pretty slow moving. The angrier he got, the easier it was to land a blow on him. Naruto also noticed the symbol that he wore as a necklace and was shocked to see someone that still practiced Jashinkyō. Either way, he had a pretty good idea on how to deal with him. The real problem would be Kakuzu, who reminded him of Shikamaru for his ability to come up with strategies on the fly. But then again, the former Taki-nin would have needed to be that intuitive, considering how long he had lived. Naruto knew that he needed to become much stronger really soon in order to face someone like him.

He looked at Yugito and wondered if she would be willing to teach him how to transform into his four tailed state and yet still remain in control. He had been attempting to do so for a while, but all of his efforts were for nothing. He rationalized that since she had full control of her bijū, she would be willing to give a fellow jinchūriki a few pointers, considering that the other two jinchūriki with that sort ability were already dead, one of them killed by the Akatsuki.

He turned to his left to see one of his clones return with some herbs. He took them and made his way to the temple that he came upon before setting up the barrier. While he wasn't much of a healer, he knew a few basic remedies without using medical ninjutsu. Without wasting any more time, he started healing Yugito.

_**X-X-X**_

Pein was not pleased. Even though it was just his image, his narrowed eyes showed everyone in the cave just how angry he was as he listened to Kakuzu give his report on what happened to the Nibi's jinchūriki.

"_So, not only did you lose the Nibi, but you lost sight of the Kyūbi jinchūriki as well?!_" asked Pein.

"He's not the hot-head he was when we lost sight of him a year and a half ago. He was more level-headed, cunning, and stronger than before, as you can see from Hidan's wound." explained Kakuzu. Everyone looked to see that the wound from Naruto's attack, which had not fully healed as of yet. "It is also right to assume that he is the reason we cannot find the Gobi no Iruka-Uma and the Sanbi no Kyodaigame. He also had some information about Hidan and me, including our abilities."

"It doesn't matter what he knows! When I find him, I'm going to rip his fucking throat out!" roared Hidan.

"_Having trouble with the whelp, Hidan? And you had the gall to mock us for our blunder._" mocked Kisame, thoroughly enjoying the Jashinkyō practitioner's failure.

"Shut the hell up!"

"_Enough! Kakuzu, you and Hidan are to search all of Shimo no Kuni for the Nibi __**and **__the Kyūbi; no detours, no bounties, and no rituals. You will find them or suffer the consequences. Do not fail me again._" ordered Pein, before he and his partner disappeared, the frames of the other members quickly following. Hidan scoffed at where his leader once stood, but Kakuzu knew better than to allow his arrogance get the better of him; he did not want to face the wrath of Pein. With a sigh, he stood up and walked out of the cave with Hidan following behind him.

_**X-X-X**_

It was night time at the genjutsu hidden sanctuary. Naruto was stirring a pot of stew whilst Yugito slept to regain her strength. He had tried to treat her wounds as best he could with what items and skill he had, but he had hoped that her bijū would heal the damage more quickly. So now, all he could do was wait for her to awaken, but luckily he didn't have to wait long, if the small groan was anything to go by. He turned to where noise came from and saw that she was stirring. Figuring that she would be hungry, he poured some of the finished stew into a bowl he found in the temple and made his way over to her.

But just when he got close enough to her, she suddenly jumped him and slammed him to the ground. The stew was spilled onto the ground, but Naruto paid little attention to it, as he was more concerned with the five extended nails that threatened to give him a new wind pipe. He looked into the narrowed cat-like eyes of the Nibi no Bakeneko's jinchūriki, keeping as calm as possible.

"Who the hell are you?! Where have you taken me?!" Yugito demanded.

"Okay, I'll talk. But first," Naruto quickly jabbed her in the side, making the woman cringe and grab her side. His assailant distracted, he quickly swept her over and ended up on top, causing Yugito to gasp out of pain as she was thrown to the ground. Thinking quickly, Naruto placed a jutsu-shiki on her and activated it. Yugito immediately felt her body lock up and found herself unable to move a muscle, no matter how much she struggled.

"You bastard!" she hissed.

"Look, I'm sorry, but you need to calm down before you hurt yourself even more. I'm no medic and I don't know if those herbs will work on your injuries or not. But to answer your first question, my name is Uzumaki Naruto; I'm here to help you." explained Naruto.

"Oh, really?! How about you prove it."

"Yayoi told me about that time you ambushed some Shimogakure ninja in Tsuki Kakō Machi. It was how I was able to find a trail to ambush the two Akatsuki members you fought; despite the fact you turned the city into rubble. Yayoi also told me that you were a proud shinobi who wouldn't like being hunted, and that you would go to your favorite ambush spot to deal with the kidnappers yourself." Yugito seemed to calm down after hearing that; the things he said were exactly what Yayoi would have said. Seeing that she had calmed down, Naruto released the jutsu-shiki, allowing her to move again. She looked at Naruto, who stared back at her in confusion, making her visage contort into a glare.

"Aren't you going to help me to my bedroll?" asked Yugito in a deadpan voice.

"I don't know if I should. After all, you _did_ just try to kill me." countered Naruto.

"Well, what type of wounded ninja is willing to trust someone she doesn't know?" Naruto didn't look all that convinced. "Fine, I swear on my hitai-ate, that I won't make another attempt on your life." That was somewhat reassuring to him; nonetheless Naruto cautiously helped her to her bedroll whilst keeping a watchful eye for any surprise attacks. He went and got another bowl of stew and placed it on Yugito's lap, helping her sit up as she began to dig in. The two stayed in silence as Yugito ate three more bowls. Once she had eaten as much as she could, she sighed in relief and laid back down, facing the blond. "You said that your name was Uzumaki Naruto, right? I think I've heard that name before."

"Maybe from Hi no Kuni?" asked Naruto.

Yugito thought for a second before something clicked. "You're the kid that Konohagakure banished, and then the daimyo punished the entire village for it. We were wondering why the fire daimyo was so angry with his hidden village. Man, I can't believe that they banished you because you captured a traitor. Your old village's reputation has fallen big time after they made that decision. So what exactly are you trying to help me with?"

"Actually, I was hoping to convince you to go into hiding. These Akatsuki guys are no joke, as you saw for yourself. The two who were after you, Kakuzu and Hidan, are not going to be killed so easily. The Gobi told me that much when we met."

"You don't have to tell me twice, I witnessed what they were truly capable of first hand. Still, if you think I'm just going to hide like some frightened kitten, then you've wasted your time. These guys need to be dealt with, and fast, before they do any more damage. It would be better if you and I teamed up, and kill these monsters once and for all. Besides, we already have an edge, considering that you're a jinchūriki as well."

"How did you know that?"

"You just said it yourself. You're the jinchūriki of the Gobi, right?"

"Oh, I think there's been a misunderstanding. I meant to say that I've met the Gobi in person. I'm not its container." replied Naruto.

"Then which tailed beast do you hold?" asked Yugito, her curiosity peaked.

"I'm the Kyūbi's jinchūriki." Yugito's eyes widened with shock, she never expected to be speaking with the host of the freaking _Kyūbi_, especially since he was so young.

'_So, Raikage-sama was right about Konoha having a jinchūriki; he didn't believe that Namikaze Minato killed the Kyūbi.'_ Yugito thought. "That's even better. You hold the strongest of the nine bijū, and I bet that Konoha trained you to use its chakra. So we-"

"Could you stop talking like we're weapons?! I don't know exactly how you were treated, but _I_ was despised by nearly the entire village! The Yondaime used me to save Konohagakure; he wanted me to be treated as a hero! Sure, his last request was met by deaf ears, but he used me to save lives, not take them!" snarled Naruto, his sudden outburst and threatening glare making the older woman reel back. The two fell into an uncomfortable silence as Naruto stared out into the night sky. Yugito looked at the young man and sighed, knowing that she may have accidentally crossed a line with her savior.

"Look, I'm sorry if I said something that upset you." said Yugito. "I don't know how it was for you in Konoha, but it must have been rough, and I'm sorry. But, you have to agree that it's dangerous just to let those two immortals run free. Judging by what you've said earlier, I'm assuming that you've gotten the Gobi to safety. Hiding him is good and all, but it's just a temporary fix; they _will_ find him eventually. So how about this: if we take out these two now, I'll willingly go into hiding, and at the same time we'll force the Akatsuki to put a hold on whatever they're planning until we're strong enough to finish them off for good. With the both of us, _and _our tenants, we can succeed. So what do you say?" Naruto had to admit that she was right. It _would _only be a matter of time before the Akatsuki found the Gobi and Sanbi. And out of all the operatives of that organization, Hidan and Kakuzu were the most troublesome of the group. If they could kill the both of them, maybe it would force the Akatsuki underground, at least long enough for him to devise a more efficient long-term method of destroying them once and for all. But at the same time, if their counterattack failed, then they would have helped Akatsuki with their agenda. With a deep sigh, he turned back to face his fellow jinchūriki.

"I'm in, but I don't know how much help I can be. Hidan, I can deal with, as I already know how to kill him. Kakuzu is a different story. I don't think three tails worth of the Kyūbi's chakra will be enough to even the odds against him." answered Naruto. Yugito was surprised with the younger blonde's answer, wasn't put out by it.

"Then we're just going to have to get you up to the next level; I've seen it done before with Killa Bee, so I know what you'll have to do. But I have to let you know beforehand, the method of getting up to the fourth tail and beyond will not be pleasant. It will be challenging, both mentally and physically. You will experience pain like you have never experienced before." said Yugito. Naruto looked unsure for a second before facing her with determined eyes.

"When do we begin?"

_**X-X-X-X-X**_

_**Glossary**_

_**Tsuki**__**Kakō Machi**_ – Moon Crater City

_**Jashinkyō**_ - Jashinism

_**Jutsu-shiki**_ – Technique Formula

_**Shimogakure**_ – Hidden Frost

_**Techniques**_

_**Rīchi**__**no Shushi**_ – Leech Effect – A seal designed by the Uzumaki clan. This seal is used for prisoners. Once applied, the prisoner has his chakra sucked out of them, leaving them powerless against the guards. Soon after, the seal will suck out the person's life force, resulting in their death.

_**Ōdama Rasengan**_ – Big Ball Spiraling Sphere - A ninjutsu with preeminent destructive power, caused by wildly spinning chakra inside one's palm and compressing it to a high density — the Rasengan. Using the same essentials, but also rapidly increasing the amount of chakra used, results in the Big Ball Rasengan. A ninjutsu that was created by Naruto. Naruto uses a shadow clone to help form it and to carry it with him. Compressed to an even higher density than before, the chakra is released all at once as soon as the technique hits the target, releasing an extraordinary destructive power. Proportional to this power, the amount of chakra it consumes is also extraordinary.


	15. Chapter 14

**_Chapter 14_**

The next day Naruto was standing outside the temple, with Yugito sitting up against one of the posts.

"Okay, so you have the initial Yōko no Koromo down pact, but the second version is much more different. With the second version, your advantages while using the Yōko no Koromo are tripled; you could possibly destroy an entire town with the wave of your _paw_." explained Yugito.

"That's pretty sweet, but it all seems too good to be true. Every time I tried to use _its_ chakra even for a short while, it took everything I had not to lose control of myself. So, what are the disadvantages to this second level?" asked Naruto.

"The process, as well as the side effects, of forming the second version of the Koromo is extremely painful. The chakra that you'll have to use from your bijū will literary rip the skin off of your body; even your increased healing won't be able to heal all of the damage you'll endure. Another negative side effect is that because your cells are regenerating the damage done by the demonic chakra at an accelerated pace, your life span will be shortened the longer you use it."

"Well, that sucks. But then again, you've got to take risks in order to reach your goals. So, what do I have to do?"

"Well, the method is somewhat similar to when you use the Yōko no Koromo in its first version: you need to experience anger. But the key difference is that your anger must be more extreme; it has to be pure, unadulterated rage. Once you manage to harness that emotion, you will be able to transform into a smaller version of the bijū you carry within you." At that point, Naruto couldn't help but notice that she looked a bit troubled.

"Something on your mind?"

"Well, not to be insulting, but I don't think you'll be able to manifest the rage that's necessary for this technique to be successful." said Yugito. "You're still pretty young, and I couldn't reach that particular emotional state until I was nineteen."

Naruto just smiled. "Oh, is that all? Well, don't worry about that. I've actually been planning something for this type of situation." Yugito looked on curiously as she watched Naruto sit down with his legs crossed. He took a deep breath, before he allowed himself to enter his sub consciousness.

**_XXX_**

Hearing the familiar sound of water dripping, Naruto opened his eyes to see the familiar leaking sewer that he had come to associate with his mind. As he made his way to the Kyūbi's cage, he saw that the giant fox was glaring balefully at him. Naruto just looked into the beast's eyes in amusement.

"So, how's life been treating you, fox?" asked Naruto.

"**I will get you for ****_this_****, boy! I ****_swear_**** it!**" snarled the Kyūbi.

"Yeah, yeah, keep telling yourself that. Look, I'm just here to see if my boys have absorbed enough of your chakra for me to reach the fourth tailed state. And what do you know, it looks like they did." The Kyūbi just chuckled darkly.

"**It doesn't matter if you have enough of my chakra or not, ****_boy_****. You're too soft to have the rage that weakling Nibi's host spoke of.**"

"And _you_ seem to forget the life the kind of life I had back in Konoha, just for being your jailer, _fox_. I experienced a lot of pain and agony from the day I was born to my last day as a Konoha shinobi." Naruto then turned to his right to face the figure that had just appeared. "Isn't that right?" he asked the being, which turned out to be an exact copy of himself, with one key difference: the eyes. Instead of the normal sapphire blue irises and white scleras that he normally had, this second Naruto's eyes red on black scleras. The sight of the red-eyed Naruto elicited a gasp from the might beast.

"**But, why? Why would you help your weaker half?!**" demanded the fox.

"_Well, it all started when we met whilst he was meditating. I insulted him and his weaknesses, which led to a fight that pretty much ended in a stalemate. Seeing that we couldn't gain an edge over each other, he tried to reason with me. It wasn't working at first, but I eventually saw that his words held _some_ merit. We both knew that we would have to eventually reunite in order to survive Akatsuki, but he decided to keep us separated for some reason. Heh, who knew that he was waiting for a moment like this?_" said Yami Naruto, a condescending smirk stretched across his face.

"**YOU DAMN FOOL! HIS PERSONALITY WILL TAKE OVER YOURS, AND YOU WILL CEASE TO BE! YOU ARE THE TRUE NARUTO, DON'T ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN!**"

"_Man, you're such a sore loser_." mocked Yami Naruto, before he turned to face Naruto. "_Let's get this over with_." Naruto nodded and the two embraced. The Kyūbi tried to break free of his prison in order to stop the fusion, but he was held in place by the improved seal. A glow suddenly appeared in between the two Narutos that grew brighter and brighter, until it consumed everything in a blinding flash of light.

**_XXX_**

Back in the real world, Naruto's eyes shot open without warning. Yugito cautiously watched on as he growled menacingly while getting up on his feet. His breathing became more forced and ragged; the kunoichi could practically feel the hatred billowing from him. But Naruto paid no attention to Yugito, as he was too preoccupied with all of the memories of his former village that flooded his mind. As he recalled everything that he experienced in Konoha: every beating, every insult, and every betrayal; his anger grew, and more demonic red chakra began to form around his body which eventually contorted into a dome. So intense was his rage that his skin began to peel off and his blood began to evaporate within the dome that encompassed him, turning it from transparent red to opaque black.

The area became silent, the tension so thick that Yugito began to fear that her fellow jinchūriki had succumbed to his bijū's will. Yet, just as she about to approach the younger blond, a loud roar shattered the dome, sending a huge wave of chakra throughout the temple. Yugito blocked her eyes from the dust that was kicked up from the sudden shockwave, making it difficult to see if Naruto was still alive. When the shockwave finally died down, she was surprised at what she saw. Instead of a young boy with blond hair and whisker marks on his cheeks, stood what looked like a four-tailed fox that was the size of a large dog, covered in red chakra that was so dark that she nearly thought that it was black. The transformed Naruto looked at Yugito, his four tails flailing around behind him. The two stared into each other's eyes, neither of them moving or speaking, until Naruto finally collapsed onto the ground. No longer conscious, the chakra dissipated from his body, revealing that he had severe burns covering a great majority of his body. Yugito looked to where the two clones that he created once stood, and sighed when she saw that they had been dispelled as a result of Naruto's transformation. Without saying anything, she gingerly picked up the younger blond, making sure that she didn't exacerbate his injuries, and walked towards their sleeping area so that she could began to treat his wounds.

**_XXX_**

Yugito turned towards the futon when she heard the groan coming from Naruto. He was covered in bandages that were soaked in the healing paste that he had used whilst she was injured. She was impressed to see that he had woken up so quickly, recalling how it took her three days to regain consciousness after her first transformation. She was quickly brought out of her memories, however, when she heard the boy grunt in pain as he tried to sit up.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you. It'll hurt like hell if you try to move, you need to allow more time for your body to recuperate." said Yugito, as she gently eased the boy back down on the futon.

"Don't… worry… about it. I've… gone… through this…before." he tried to say, his voice sounding raspy and dry.

"You've transformed before?"

"The… Akatsuki… came… after me… two… and a half… years ago. Wasn't… in… control… that time."

"Is that right?" asked Yugito, whilst she helped Naruto drink from the water canteen. There was a small silence as he drank his fill, before she spoke again. "I'm actually surprised that you managed to transform at all. Care to share how you did it?"

At first, Naruto was hesitant at sharing his past with a woman he barely knew. But on the other hand, she was someone that shared similar experiences with him, and as of now they were still partners. In the end, despite the little reservation, he decided that there was no harm in sharing his own experiences with the woman. So Naruto told Yugito everything, from when he was a child, to the retrieval mission that sealed his fate, and what finally happened inside his mindscape.

"So you see, it was a mixture of things that I've experienced that helped me reach the next level. I've never had a great life back in Konoha; everyone either ignored me or did everything in their power to make my life a living hell. By the time that I was banished, I was so angry with the village that I actually wanted to see it burn; to watch as all of the people suffer as I had suffered. But then I realized that if I had acted upon those urges that would have made_ them_ right about me all along. So, I buried my hatred deep within in myself. Yet over time, my anger grew and began to take a form of its own. A while back, we made a deal with each other and combined into one mind, which caused me to be bombarded with all of my negative emotions all at once." explained Naruto explained. Yugito instantly understood what he was talking about, having grown up in a somewhat similar situation herself. Yet, there was just one thing that she just couldn't understand.

"So, let me get this straight. Your village treated you like shit, tried to weaken you, and then finally banished you because you roughed up their _golden boy_. And all you did was try to gain acknowledgement from your peers, only for all of your attempts to be thrown back in your face. Yet, here you are, trying to put a stop to this Akatsuki to save people you don't even know? I guess I'm just confused as to how you can just move on with your life after everything you went through. Anyone else would have cursed the entire world, and focus all of their energy on getting their revenge."

"Do you really want to know?" asked Naruto. Yugito merely nodded, to which Naruto just looked up at the night's sky as he tried to gather his thoughts. "I really don't have a complex reason as to why I'm stopping all of this. I'm helping you and the others out because it's the right thing to do. Whatever the Akatsuki has planned for the bijū, it can't be good for anyone in the Elemental Countries. Despite all of my anger and disappointment, there're still _some_ people in Konoha that I care about, and want to protect from whatever these bastards have planned."

"Is it really that simple?" Naruto just nodded, but immediately regretted if the sudden pained gasp was anything to go by. Yugito just smirked at him. "You should get some rest. I'd reckon that you'll probably be all healed up by the morning; we'll continue your training until then." Naruto didn't say anything, but complied nonetheless and went back to sleep. Yugito stayed up for a while longer, watching him as his chest moved up and down with every breath. For some reason, there was something about the boy that just interested her.

'_He's just some boy. Well, technically he's a jinchūriki, but he's still a child compared to me. So why can't I stop thinking about him?' _thought Yugito_._

'**_I would like to know that as well, Yugito-sama. Why _****are****_ you thinking about him so often? He is of a noble character, that's for sure, but he's still naïve about how things really are in life._**_' _interjected the Nibi.

'_I'm not going to disagree with you on that part. Still, he's so confident in his convictions, and is so unwilling to deter from any of them. You don't see that trait in many people that often. And from what I've heard, his life must have been a lot rougher than mine, yet he still carries on with such undying confidence. It's both surprising and alluring at the same time.'_

'**_You're not developing a crush on him, are you?_**_'_

"_No! I mean, I feel that I can actually believe in him and his ideals. It's as if my confidence grows whenever I'm around him.'_ The Nibi didn't say anything else as Yugito turned her attention to the sky. She noticed that the clouds looked as if they were about to part.

**_XXX_**

The two jinchūriki spent the next month in the temple, with Yugito helping Naruto become more acclimated to using his four-tailed transformation. During that month, Yugito learned just how determined the younger blond was when it came to his training. With each day he grew stronger, his control over the transformation grew by leaps and bounds, and the rate in which he needed to gather chakra became quicker. His progress became noticeable during one of their spars, when Yugito had to go to her full bijū form to match him.

Kakuzu and Hidan, on the other hand, weren't having an easy time completing their objective. The moment that their last group meeting had ended, they had taken to searching all of Shimo no Kuni for their targets, but _still_ hadn't found a trace of the two jinchūriki. They had even gone as far as enlisting the help of Zetsu, but even **_he_** had trouble locating them. Pein was getting restless with each passing day, and the duo was already walking on a thin ice with him. If they didn't find them soon, both Kakuzu **_and _**Hidan feared that they wouldn't survive another day in world of the living, although Hidan would've never admitted his fear for his leader out loud to anyone.

The end of the month was coming up fast and the two sides were coming to a head; the outcome of their encounter would determine their next course of action.

**_XXX_**

Yugito watched as Naruto disengaged the four tailed state, leaving him winded and a bit tired, but he was still wearing that goofy grin on his face. Yugito raised an eyebrow at the boy, not understanding as to why he was smiling.

"What are you so happy about? You might have gotten the hang of it now, but you've still got a long ways to go before you fully master your transformation. Or have we forgotten what happened when you tried to use a Bijūdama?" asked Yugito with a teasing smirk.

"Hey, that only happened once!" exclaimed Naruto, making Yugito giggle. Her giggling turned to full blown laughter when she saw him pout childishly, his expression reminding her of an annoyed fox kit. Suddenly, Naruto's head snapped towards the temple's clearing, his expression adopting a more serious look. Yugito saw the look, and became serious as well.

"What is it?" she asked

"We've got company."

**_XXX_**

Hidan rubbed his bruised face as he glared at whatever he had ran into. He and Kakuzu had been searching off the roads for their targets for an entire month, and it was pissing the foul-mouthed man off. Zetsu had been called away to find the Gobi, so they were on their own. They were cutting through the forest, when he walked into some invisible object. As he cursed repeatedly, Kakuzu walked up and gingerly touched what Hidan had run into. He felt something solid which confused him, until he realized what was actually in front of him.

"So, this is how they've been avoiding us." murmured Kakuzu. He reared his fist back as it changed from its normal fleshy color to a dark black, and threw it forward with all his strength, smashing through the invisible barrier. Now that the barrier was no longer erect, he could feel the chakra signatures of the two jinchūriki, albeit a lot stronger than he had expected from his last encounters with them.

"What the hell is with these chakra signatures?!" Hidan asked loudly.

"They must have been training. This barrier most likely kept their chakra from leaking out of the area. But with this barrier's destruction, there's the possibility that they know that we're here. We must move in cautiously." explained Kakuzu. The two continued forward until they reached a temple, where they stopped at the stone grounds to look around for the two, who were most likely lying in wait to strike.

But after standing around for few seconds, Hidan lost his patience. "Hey, you two bastards! Get your asses out here right now!" he shouted. Kakuzu just sighed at Hidan's impatience. He was surprised, however, when someone actually appeared before them. A sinister sneer stretched across Hidan's face the moment he recognized just who the newcomer was. "Well, if it isn't the spiky haired blond. I owe you for that hole you drilled through my chest, you little bastard."

"Hey, I'm an orphan! Just because you were abandoned by your parents doesn't mean you have the right to call me a bastard." Naruto shot back. Hidan continued to sneer, somewhat amused that the blond had the gall to say such things to him.

"I'm going to enjoy messing you up, punk. I'll leave you barely breathing, so that you can watch as we extract your bijū."

"Say now, that's not behavior befitting of a Jashinkyō practitioner. You psychos have destroyed everything in your path, because according to your _god_, utter destruction is the only path towards salvation. Anything less than that is considered to be an unforgivable sin. But then again, I guess that was one of the many reasons why my clan sealed your god away and dealt with your psychotic members, permanently." stated Naruto. Hidan just stared at him, as if he had no idea what the blond was talking about. "So you really don't know how you became the only one who still worships Jashin? Heh, you must have left the cult the moment you've been baptized. Here, let me explain it to you in a way that you can understand: the Uzumaki clan, _my clan_, was tasked with sealing away all of the knowledge pertaining to your god, and then neutralizing everyone that worshiped Jashin. With the exception of you, we were successful." Naruto's words immediately got a reaction out of Hidan, who was gripping his scythe tightly and glaring at the blond with unbridled rage.

"You heathen scum, I'LL RIP YOU TO SHREDS!" Hidan roared as he charged forward. He was on Naruto in seconds, but the young man didn't look concerned. He simply just formed a hand seal, which activated a hemispherical barrier around him. Hidan brought his scythe down with all of his might, kicking up a large cloud of dust, but was unable to injure the young shinobi. Kakuzu growled at Hidan's stupidity, as he watched the young boy lead his partner away from him. The second that Naruto began talking about his partner's religion, he knew that the boy was trying to get Hidan alone. He ignored the rampaging Jashinist, who was now hell-bent on killing his target, for the time being and subtly activated his Doton: Domu technique on one of his arms. He raised his enhanced arm just in time to block Yugito's stab with her long nails. But the woman wasn't caught flat-footed, as she spun and nailed him in the chest with a reverse kick, sending him skidding back a few feet. The two faced each other, both of them ready to leap into action at any time.

"So, you succeeded in your plan of separating us. You may, however, come to regret it." said Kakuzu. Yugito just smirked.

"I wouldn't underestimate Naruto if I were you. He's an Uzumaki, and those who have underestimated his clan paid for it with their lives. Just think about it for a second: he knows all about Jashin and his twisted religion, so wouldn't that indicate that he knows how to deal with his followers?" Yugito asked mockingly. Kakuzu said nothing, his eyes narrowing before he prepared himself for battle.

**_XXX_**

Naruto parried another swipe of the scythe, landing an elbow to Hidan's jaw in retaliation. He then struck with a punch before leaping straight into the air and planted both feet into the man's face. Staggering back, Hidan didn't have time to recover as he was hit from his left and then his right by Naruto's clones. Seeing an opening, the original launched a **Kaze no Yaiba**, which cut deep into Hidan's shoulder. The silver haired man growled as he bled.

"You think that this scratch will slow me down? I can't die from blood loss, fool! All I need to do is cut you once, and then it'll all be over for you." he snarled.

"But you'll still need to ingest the victim's blood _and _draw Jashin's insignia with your own blood in order to do the ritual. But by the time you manage to do all of that, you'll already be dead." said Naruto, amused by Hidan's disbelieving stare. "Yeah, that's right, I said **_dead_**. There is a method to killing you, Hidan, and I know how to do it. Your text should have explained that glaring weakness. Oh wait, that's right; you left the cult as soon as you gained your immortality. By that time, the Uzumaki burnt your temple to the ground!"

"I'm going to kill you and sacrifice you to Jashin-sama! I swear it!" Hidan hissed angrily.

"Disobeying orders, Hidan? That doesn't sound like a good idea. I've heard your leader was not one who accepted failures from his subordinates."

"Screw the Akatsuki and that fake god! I am going to rain Hell down upon you and everyone in this damn world! Jashin's reign will sweep the globe, and I will be the instrument of his power!"

"Humph, I don't think so. I'm going to end this once and for all." said Naruto, with a serious tone. He and his two clones attacked, but Hidan was prepared this time. He blocked the first strike with his scythe, before ducking the attack from behind and lashed out with a kick. It was blocked, but Hidan was able to hit the clone with a back hand. He pushed the first clone back with his weapon, landing a vicious front kick to its face. Naruto and the other clone attacked in tandem, but Hidan held them off with his scythe: blocking, parrying and striking with great skill. Suddenly, Hidan stabbed his scythe into the ground and used it to lift himself off the ground. A kick caught Naruto in the jaw and sent him flying back. He spun around his embedded weapon and blasted the clone with a roundhouse kick. He landed on the ground and raised his scythe in an upward strike, cutting right through the clone that tried to attack from above. He continued with his strike and brought it down on the other clone like an axe. Both clones were dispelled in a cloud of smoke.

Hidan turned to the lone Naruto that was left; the one he had kicked in the face thinking that it was a clone. He charged, believing that the boy would not be able to counter attack in time. This proved to be a mistake on Hidan's part, as Naruto finished the chain of hand seals that he had started whilst he was on the ground.

"**Katon: Karyū Endan!**" shouted Naruto, launching a blast of flame in the shape of a dragon that consumed Hidan. The Jashinist screamed in pain as the flames burnt his flesh; he raced out of the fires before he was reduced to ash. But as he jumped out of the inferno, Naruto was upon him, swinging his arm down in an arc. He didn't see the attack, but whatever it was sliced across his chest, causing blood to spew out in a massive torrent. Hidan hit the ground with a thud, the air abruptly leaving his lungs as Naruto slammed his knee into his gut. The Jashinist ignored the pain and tried to cut Naruto with his scythe, only to have his arm cleaved off with another Kaze no Yaiba. Blood sprayed from the stump that used to be his arm, as Hidan watched a clone walk towards him and gather some of his life fluid in a cup. Another clone came out of the tree line and began to use Hidan's blood to draw something. The immortal was shocked when he saw the clone begin to draw Jashin's symbol, but relaxed once he saw that the clone was doing it all wrong; even the triangle was drawn incorrectly.

"You fool; you've messed up the ritual. Only a true follower of Jashin knows how to do the ritual correctly. He will smite you for your insolence." said Hidan smugly.

"Man, you should have paid more attention on about how we killed your cult. While the Jujutsu: Shiji Hyōketsu is an impressive jutsu, the symbol that you make to link yourself to your victims is considered to be a seal. And like most seals, the best way to deal with them is to reverse them. My clan figured out that if you reversed the process of your curse, you _can_ die. So, if someone were to reverse the drawing of your symbol, then force you to drink your own blood, your immortality would be nullified." explained Naruto. Hidan's eyes widened when Naruto forced the cup of blood into his mouth. The man tried to stop him but the clone massaging his throat made it impossible for him not to drink the liquid. Once the cup was empty, Naruto and his clones jumped away.

Hidan coughed and hacked, as he began to convulse uncontrollably on the ground. He looked to be in agony as he kept jerking about on the ground. Suddenly a bright red glow began to encompass his entire body, before it exploded in a bright flash of light. Once the light completely dissipated, Hidan's convulsing stopped completely. The mangled man managed to get to his knees, his head facing down at the ground. Naruto noticed that he was extremely pale, most likely from the blood loss, yet Hidan managed to raise his head and glare at him with utter contempt and loathing. Naruto remained silent as he began to form a Rasengan that was much bigger than normal with the help of one of his clones.

"I curse you...forever...,**_ boy_**! I curse...you and...everything you...love! I wish...nothing...but pain and agony...upon you." Hidan spat weakly.

"This is the end of the road for you, Hidan. Say hello to your brothers and sisters of Jashin, **_in hell_**! **Ōdama Rasengan!**" exclaimed Naruto, as he and the clone shot forward.

**_XXX_**

Yugito skidded across the ground, stopping a few feet away from her opponent. She looked up to glare at Kakuzu, his tattered robe the only sign that he had been in a fight. The first time that she'd fought this man, she was able to squish him whilst in her Nibi form, but he had survived because of that Doton jutsu of his. But after their little skirmish, she realized that his Doton jutsu wasn't his only skill. Given what Naruto had told her, she should have expected something from a shinobi that had been alive since the reign of the Shodaime Hokage. He definitely had plenty of experience since he was able to counter everything she threw at him. She wasn't going all-out, but she knew that she would need to soon or else she would end up being captured all over again.

Kakuzu gave her a calculating look, as if he were trying to read her mind.

"Are you still waiting for your friend? Despite his stupidity, Hidan is more than a match for him. He won't win and neither will you." said Kakuzu. Yugito growled at the man's arrogance, when suddenly an explosion caught their attention. Something flew right out of the temple and high into the air. They two couldn't distinguish what it was exactly, but the object landed a few feet behind Kakuzu. Turning behind him, Kakuzu was shocked to see the mangled and torn body of Hidan, pale and motionless. Yugito was a little taken back at seeing the seemingly invincible immortal in such a state, when Naruto appeared beside her.

"You sure took your sweet time." she hissed.

"Hey, these Akatsuki guys are S-rank criminals! Don't get mad at me just because it took me a little longer than I'd expected to deal with that bastard. Besides, it's not like you have any room to criticize me. _Your_ guy is still alive, and he hardly seems winded." Yugito turned her nose up at him, reminding him of a snooty house cat, but she quickly became serious once again.

"Is he really dead?" she asked.

"Yeah, one down, one to go." replied Naruto.

"Hidan? Hidan!" shouted Kakuzu, getting no response from the man on the ground. His head snapped back to Naruto, his eyes wide with disbelief. "How…how did you kill him? There is just _no way_ that you could have taken his life."

"Never say never, for there is always a way. You and your former partner allowed your _immortality_ go straight to your heads. You aren't leaving this area alive, Kakuzu." said Naruto. Yugito smirked at the lone Akatsuki member, prepared to go all-out on the remaining immortal. For the first time in a long while, Kakuzu began to experience fear. He looked back at the bloodied body, hoping that Hidan was actually playing a joke, only to be completely disappointed. Hidan was dead; the young teen having done what many could not. That alone brought up a horrifying question in his mind: if this boy could kill a bastard like Hidan, what's to say that brat couldn't kill him?

Kakuzu growled as he ripped the tattered robe off him, forming a hand seal and began to expel a massive amount of chakra. He was not about to die at the hands of these two; he didn't live and survive for this long to die at the hands of some woman and brat! The two blonds watched in anticipation for whatever Kakuzu was planning, but they didn't expect to see four black masses of threads pop out from his back, which then surrounded Kakuzu. The masses took form, each one gaining a mask for a face, all of them staring down at the two of them. Kakuzu stared the two blonds down, causing Naruto to gulp nervously, before turning to Yugito.

"Uh, did he do this when you fought him?" asked Naruto.

"No." deadpanned Yugito. "This is completely new to me."

"I can't believe that I'm forced to do this, but I will not be defeated by the two of you!" Kakuzu spat angrily.

**_XXXXX_**

**_Authors' Notes_** – Thank you again Toa Naruto for your beta skills. I don't know what to say other than you are the man. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this new chapter.

**_Glossary_**

**_Yōko no Koromo_** – Demon Fox Shroud

**_Techniques_**

**_Doton: Domu_** – Earth Release: Earth Spear - The user flows chakra through all parts of their body causing it to become noticeably darker, which increases their defensive power to its utmost limits by making the skin as hard as diamond. Furthermore, the destructive power of physical attacks is increased, making this a great all-purpose technique. The amount of techniques that can break through the areas hardened by the Earth Spear are close to zero, excluding its undeniable weak point: Lightning Release ninjutsu.

**_Kaze no Yaiba_** – Blade of Wind - This technique is a pinpoint slashing strike, where the user emits chakra from their fingertips and materializes it into an invisible sword that assaults the enemy in a gust of wind and making a slicing sound.

**_Jujutsu: Shiji Hyōketsu_** - Curse Technique: Death Controlling Possessed Blood - This technique is Hidan's primary method of killing his opponents in the way of the Jashin religion.

First, Hidan makes every effort to draw blood from his opponent and ingest it. His skin then turns black with white markings which makes him look like a skeleton, a symbol of absolute death. He then draws Jashin's symbol on the ground in blood and stands in the centre. This serves as the link between him and his victim.

Once his sacrificial ritual takes place, the victim is linked with Hidan until he either steps or is forced out of the circle. Any kind of injury that Hidan inflicts upon himself (or the injury they inflicted on him) is reciprocated on his target, be it a mere scratch to a pierce in the heart. If Hidan is forced to step out of the circle, the link is broken and the victim is set free, but all Hidan has to do is to step back into the circle to reactivate the link. Basically, this technique makes Hidan a living voodoo doll.

**_Ōdama Rasengan_** – Big Ball Spiraling Sphere - A ninjutsu with preeminent destructive power, caused by wildly spinning chakra inside one's palm and compressing it to a high density — the Rasengan. Using the same essentials, but also rapidly increasing the amount of chakra used, results in the **Big Ball Rasengan**. Compressed to an even higher density than before, the chakra is released all at once as soon as the technique hits the target, releasing an extraordinary destructive power. Proportional to this power, the amount of chakra it consumes is also extraordinary. With him possessing the near-inexhaustible supply of the Nine-Tails' chakra, it could be said that this technique is for no-one but Naruto.


	16. Chapter 15

**_Chapter 15_**

Yugito and Naruto looked at the four masked bodies of writhing black tentacles in disbelief. One mask depicted a monstrous face with a yellow beak, whilst another appeared to be a demonic tiger. The third black body looked like a deformed biped with its mask. And the final one looked like a demonic bird with four legs and wings. All four menacing beings were staring directly at the two, poised to attack. Naruto, despite the impending danger, looked at Yugito once again.

"Are you absolutely _sure_ that he didn't do this before?" he asked.

"Look, when I first fought him, he only used a Doton jutsu and Suiton jutsu. I told you already that I never saw this before!" hissed the older woman.

"I'm actually surprised that you don't know about this technique, since you already know my name and my career. But then again, the Jiongu _is_ one of Takigakure's more heavily defended secrets." said Kakuzu, interrupting the conversation between the two blonds. Naruto suddenly looked at the missing-nin, confusion shining in his eyes.

"Jiongu? I thought the Eiyu no Mizu was your village's greatest secret?"

"That's true, but _this _technique is much more guarded. It's the sole reason that I've been alive for so long; it's practically considered to be a living organism. But that's all I'm going to say about it. It's time for you two to fall." said Kakuzu as he formed a single hand seal. "Fūton: Atsugai!" Suddenly, the four legged bird with sky blue streaks opened its mouth and fired a compressed ball of wind. The two jinchūriki leapt out of the way just as the attack hit the ground, but were still sent flying back from the shock wave as the ball of wind expanded and destroyed everything, including the temple. Whilst the two were still airborne, the deformed biped started to emit electricity.

"Raiton: Gian!" exclaimed Kakuzu. Two beams of lightning shot out at the two, but the blonds were able escape via a quick Kawarimi. They landed on the ground, just as Kakuzu targeted them with the red demonic tiger. "Katon: Zukokku!" The creature launched a large ball of fire, to which Naruto responded by forming a chain of hand seals and slamming his hands on the ground.

"Doton: Doryūheki!" A large earthen wall shot up in front of them. The fireball slammed against the barrier, but Yugito saw that it wouldn't hold for long. Without wasting time, she grabbed Naruto and shunshined to behind a tree to escape. The wall, and a large portion of the ground behind it, was obliterated in an enormous fiery explosion.

Crouching behind the tree, Naruto and Yugito tried to catch their breath as quietly as they could. "Okay, so he can use Katon, Fūton, and Raiton style ninjutsu with those...things of his. On top of that, we know that he can use Doton on his own. And considering what we've just seen, there's a high chance that he has access to Suiton jutsu as well. Let's just hope that he doesn't have any more unpleasant surprises up his sleeve." said Yugito. Suddenly, a claw pierced through the tree they were hiding behind, nearly taking her head off. They jumped back as the demonic, beaked biped knocked the tree down. The creature growled menacingly, before it began attacking Yugito with extreme prejudice. The Kumo jinchūriki extended her nails and met its charge, slashing at the beaked biped's body at every chance she saw. But all of her attacks were for naught, as she found out the hard way that its body was as hard as diamonds.

'_Damn it, none of my attacks are doing any damage to this monstrosity! Could this be how he was able to perform that invulnerability technique?'_ thought Yugito, who had to resort to a more defensive strategy, utilizing her agility to avoid the creature's clumsy but still powerful attacks.

Naruto tried to help her, but he was suddenly attacked by the other three masks. They bombarded him with fireballs, wind bullets, and high powered lightning bolts at an inhumanly rapid pace. Naruto bobbed and weaved constantly, just barely managing to dodge each attack. Knowing that he wouldn't be able to keep dodging for long, Naruto decided he'd have a better chance if he evened the odds. He brought his fingers into a cross seal and concentrated his chakra for his most often used ninjutsu.

"Tajū Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" A large plume of smoke covered Naruto and the area from view. Using the smoke as cover, Naruto shot a chain of clones out and grabbed the winged creature. The clone chain flung the being into the air and slammed it into the ground with tremendous force. The demonic tiger and the deformed biped launched their elemental jutsu in conjunction with each other, obliterating the chain of clones and creating a massive smokescreen. Using the second smokescreen to his advantage, Naruto launched his Yari no Kaze at the deformed biped, but the entity managed to avoid the attack at the very last second.

**_XXX_**

Whilst the two jinchūriki were fighting of the mysterious masked beings, Kakuzu remained where he stood, opting to watch and observe his opponents. But he was brought out of musings, however, at the sound of several feet running towards him. Turning to his right, he was greeted with the sight of an army of clones charging at him. Kakuzu simply scoffed at the foolhardy tactic, forming three seals to cause a high powered fountain of water to appear just inches away from the clone army, instantly stopping them in their tracks. Taking advantage of their distraction, he met the clones head on, intent on obliterating them all.

**_XXX_**

Yugito cursed as the nails of her right hand broke on contact of the demonic biped, upset that this...thing could use the same damned technique that Kakuzu used to make himself practically invulnerable. The masked creature lunged to strike the tired woman again, when it was suddenly blindsided by a dozen Naruto clones. Another clone joined her as its brethren attempted to pound the creature into oblivion.

"This is getting out of hand. We're not going to survive this fight at this rate." stated Yugito.

"You're telling me, the boss is running low on chakra fighting those masked creatures." agreed the clone. "Don't suppose you have any ideas on how to take them out?" Yugito became silent as she racked her brain for a possible solution. Suddenly, an idea came to her.

"I need the original Naruto to lead the mask that uses lightning jutsu to my position. Hold off the other two as long as you can." The clone nodded and dispelled, just as the yellow beaked creature knocked the clones off of it, dispelling them all in an instant. Not wasting any time, Yugito took off with the creature following behind her; she made sure that the biped continued to pursue her all of the way. Up ahead, she saw an army of clones deal with the Katon and Fūton masks whilst the Raiton mask was firing beams of lightning at a fleeing Naruto.

"Naruto!" she shouted, catching the young man's attention. "Be ready to hit the ground on my signal!" Naruto nodded and ran at Yugito as fast as he could. She matched his speed and charged at Naruto, all the while keeping a keen eye on the Raiton mask charging up for another attack. She knew that they would only get one chance for her plan to work; she waited until she felt the build-up of chakra from the lightning creature reach its maximum level.

"NOW!" Naruto instantly hit the dirt as Yugito leaped into the air. The beam of lightning missed Naruto by a hair, cutting through the air and splitting the Doton creature in two. Using her downward momentum to her advantage, Yugito reared her left arm back and thrust a spear-hand strike at the Raiton mask. The moment her hand made contact, she extended her nails and skewered the mask, breaking it into pieces. Now rendered immobile, Naruto launched a high-powered Katon jutsu, incinerating the black tendrils that made up its body. Having leaped away before the flames consumed the lightning creature, Yugito landed across from Naruto, both of them breathing hard from their respective battles.

**_XXX_**

Elsewhere, the army of Naruto clones was dwindling against Kakuzu's onslaught. Having seen their brethren slaughtered like game, the remaining clones were practically snarling mad, yet man still remained calm. Suddenly, without warning, Kakuzu started coughing and gagging, as if he were choking on something. He dropped to his knees, clutching his chest and coughing up blood. The clones were momentarily confused at what they were seeing, but weren't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. They attacked him with renewed eagerness, one of them catching the man in the chin with a kick, knocking him down on his back. Another clone stomped on his chest, eliciting a pained gasp from Kakuzu, before he was kicked into the air by a third clone. Kakuzu was literally bounced around like a pinball by the clones, all the while groaning and gasping in pain. Just as he was left suspended in the air for a brief moment, he was suddenly sent flying back down by a Rasengan to the gut. Kakuzu hit the ground with a thunderous crash, kicking up dirt in a thick cloud. Not wanting to lose their advantage, the clones pressed their attack with the intent of finishing him off. Suddenly, Kakuzu exploded with a massive amount of chakra, an inhumane roar echoing throughout the area as several clones were wiped out of existence by a field of black tendrils.

**_XXX_**

Without any warning, the tiger mask and bird masked creatures suddenly retreated, with several of Naruto's clones running after them. Yugito was about to follow them until she noticed that Naruto was on his knees, clutching at his head and groaning in pain. She watched in concern as he slowly got back on his feet, all the while massaging his temples.

"Are you alright?" she finally asked.

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, I just got a wicked headache from Kakuzu destroying my clones all at once. I don't know what happened: one minute my clones were beating Kakuzu to a pulp after he had some sort of heart attack, the next he's wiping them all out with that Jiongu technique of his."

"Well, what we waiting for? Let's take advantage of our enemy's moment of weakness and end this fight once and for all!" exclaimed Yugito. The two made their way over to where the clones were, but found themselves staring in awe at what awaited them, something that was the fuel for nightmares. Kakuzu was suspended in air by numerous black tendrils that covered him completely, several of which were wrapped around trees for support. The two remaining masked creatures were beside him, like demonic pets obediently waiting for their master's orders. It was quite an intimidating sight, with Kakuzu looking down at the two of them with narrowed eyes that promised excruciating pain.

"It has been a long time since I've lost two of my hearts. If the both of you weren't on Akatsuki's hit list, I'd have used your hearts to replace the ones you destroyed." growled Kakuzu.

"Hearts?! As in, _more than one_?!" asked a revolted Yugito.

"Yes, I take the hearts of my opponents to prolong my life. On an interesting note, I also get their element affinity as an added bonus." Kakuzu explained as if he were talking about the weather.

"So,_ that's_ how you've survived for so long?!" asked Naruto, horrified at what he was hearing, before eyes burned with new-found determination. "Well, that means that we've just got to kill you three more times before we're finally rid of you!"

"You think that it will be that easy, _boy_? Well then, you're more than welcome to try." The remaining clones wasted no time in charging Kakuzu, only for the majority of them to be slaughtered by the monster man's Jiongu. Those that managed to survive were instantly destroyed either by the Fūton mask shooting compressed balls of wind, or the Katon monster spewing high-powered fire attacks. Using the makeshift smokescreen in conjunction with their own smoke bombs, Yugito and the original Naruto dashed towards Kakuzu. The former Taki-nin saw them coming, however, and tried to ensnare them with the Jiongu. Yet despite Kakuzu's best attempts, the two blonds managed dodge and evade every one of his attacking tendrils, all the while gradually closing in on him. Yugito was the first to break through the mass of tendrils, her claws extended and poised to skewer one of his hearts. Kakuzu merely remained rooted in his position, as a giant tendril-made tail smacked the woman down hard. But he wasn't done yet; Kakuzu dragged the construct across the ground and swatted the leaping Naruto away as if he were an annoying house fly. Yet, before he could finish of the boy when he sensed several chakra signatures surging towards him. Turning to his right, Kakuzu's eyes widened at the sight of another large clone army.

'_But how?!_ _He was occupied with dodging my Jiongu the entire time! When did he even have the time to-_' and then it hit him, the smokescreen. The boy had purposely sent his shadow clones on those suicidal attacks, knowing that they would be easily destroyed, in order to create a longer lasting smokescreen with the help of the smoke bombs. The very thought that he had been so easily deceived made his blood boil; he had been alive for nearly a century and yet here he was, falling for simple tricks that like a ninja academy graduate. Having more than enough of dealing with clones, Kakuzu combined the fire and wind attacks from his masks to create a huge stream of fire that wiped out the small army in an instant.

Kakuzu watched as the smoke cleared, waiting for anymore surprise clone attacks. But when none came, he turned his gaze to the downed Yugito, still lying on the ground. He willed his Jiongu to grab hold of her, when suddenly a large clawed arm, made entirely of dark red chakra, shot from under the ground and tore the tendrils asunder. It was only thanks to his honed reflexes and instincts that he had barely managed to dodge the second chakra arm originating from the first one that attempted to crush him in one strike. As the dust settled, he was greeted with the sight of a four-tailed foxlike creature covered in dark red chakra, standing protectively in front of Yugito, growling menacingly at him.

_'Shit! This changes everything! Itachi said that the brat managed to use a four tailed transformation during their last encounter. Tch, looks like that Kumo bitch taught him a few tricks._' He knew the effects that bijū chakra had on the human body and was instantly on edge, knowing that his task had just become much more dangerous than before. In a burst of speed, Naruto launched himself at Kakuzu, whom countered with a wave of black tendrils in a desperate, yet futile attempt to stop the boy-turned-beast. Kakuzu tried every single maneuver he could think of with his Jiongu, but the chakra beast evaded it with ease. He tried using his wind and fire masks, but that too proved to be futile, the boy managing to dodge each attack, and dispel the ones that were close to hitting him with a sonic roar. With a frustrated snarl, he tried to subdue Naruto once again with his massive tendril tail, only to watch in horror as the boy shredded the construct as if it were wet paper.

'_This is bullshit!_' he thought with a growl. '_Five minutes ago, this little boy was nothing more but a nuisance, like a pesky mosquito! Yet the moment he uses his bijū's chakra, his speed and reflexes suddenly skyrocket! I've been alive before his parents were even born; I should __**NOT**__ have this much trouble defeating this little shit! I've already wasted enough time and chakra with this whole ordeal; I'm ending this right now!_'

"It's over!" roared Kakuzu, before he shot another concentrated beam of fire at Naruto. The boy merely stared the oncoming attack down and released a loud bellow at the last moment, creating a dome composed of chakra around him that blocked the oncoming firestorm. But as the flames flickered out, the boy realized too little too late that the elemental jutsu was merely a diversion for the **_tsunami_** of black tentacles surging towards him. Leaping into action, Naruto dodged and slashed at every tendril that came near him, but the continuous onslaught soon overwhelmed him, ensnaring him like a wild animal. Naruto struggled to get free, but the tendrils wrapped tightly around his limbs kept him from moving. Kakuzu merely smirked as he gathered chakra towards his remaining heart masks. "Let's see you escape this blast." he snarled, as he charged the two masks for one final attack.

Just when Kakuzu was just about to subdue the younger jinchūriki, he was suddenly struck by a huge ball of fire. The surprise attack caught him completely off guard, leaving severe burns all over his body. With the sudden onslaught of pain racing through his body, he couldn't defend himself from the flaming blue paw that slammed into him and the Katon masked beast, destroying the organ it housed in the process. Fighting past the second wave of pain stabbing at his chest, Kakuzu looked behind him and saw a large blue flamed, two-tailed cat, hissing angrily at him. The heart thief mentally kicked himself again, this time for forgetting about the woman; shifting one's attention from one enemy and giving the second enemy enough time to recover, such an amateurish mistake! Before he could utter a single curse, the huge beast pounced, dragging him across the ground and digging a deep trench across the surface. With Kakuzu's attention focused elsewhere, Naruto was able to free himself from the tendrils' loosened grip, landing on the ground in a heap. As he got back to his feet, he could hear the massive fight between Akatsuki member and jinchūriki, along with a lot of swears, yowling, and feline hissing. Yet despite assuming her full bijū form, Yugito wasn't strong enough to completely overpower Kakuzu, the tendril monstrosity actually being able to slowly but surely push the flaming cat back.

'_Damn it,_' Naruto mentally cursed,'_this is not looking good. Either Yugito is more exhausted from the battle than I thought, or Kakuzu is lot stronger than we'd ever imagine. I've got to end this quickly; we're both practically running on fumes!_'

Acting quickly, Naruto began to surge his chakra into the air until there were several small black, blue, and red spheres scattered in front of him. With great effort, he then condensed the spheres with his tails until there was but one small black sphere of chakra left in front of him. With a single gulp, he swallowed the sphere whole, instantly causing his body to swell, compressing the ground beneath him into a small crater from his sudden increase in weight, smoke billowing out the sides of his mouth in small streams.

Meanwhile, Kakuzu had finally managed to throw off the huge cat, just in time to see what attack the other blond had in store for him. In an act of desperation, he aimed his remaining mask at the young boy, whilst running through a long chain of hand seals of his own.

"Fūton: Atsugai!"

"Suiton: Daibakufu no Jutsu!" The two attacks combined and created a powerful vortex of water hurtling towards Naruto. Naruto didn't flinch, however, and instead reared back his head before he shot it forward.

"**Bijūdama!**" Roared Naruto as he fired a thick beam of chakra at the former Taki nin, cutting through the combined jutsu with ease and striking Kakuzu head on. The man didn't even have time to scream as he was consumed by a blinding white light, as the chakra beam continued down its path, destroying everything it touched. When the deadly attack finally dissipated, all that remained was a long, deep trench that looked like it went on for miles. With both Akatsuki members finally defeated, Naruto disengaged his transformation just as he fell onto his back, thoroughly exhausted and gasping for breath whilst staring lazily at the sky. Yugito, having canceled her bijū transformation as well, staggered towards where Naruto was laying, until her legs finally gave out and she toppled onto her back, landing right next to him. Despite how tired she was, she couldn't stop the smile stretching across her face.

"What do you know, you actually did it. But you still need to practice gathering chakra at a faster pace. That and you should work on actually firing the Bijūdama's spherical form instead of the beam, that way you'd get a larger blast radius." joked Yugito.

"Tch. Everyone's a critic." Naruto said sourly. But his irritation didn't last long, as his scowl gave way to laughter. The laughter proved to be too contagious for Yugito, as she too began laughing, despite her exhaustion.

**_XXX_**

Pein sat in the darkened room, his eyes giving off an ethereal glow in the gloom, as he waited for both Kakuzu and Hidan to report in. The two "immortals" had gone off the grid during their assignment, and had not been seen or heard from since the last group meeting three weeks ago. He was starting to wonder why they were refusing to answer the summons that he sent them, and contemplated on whether or not he would have to terminate the duo for betraying the organization. Suddenly, Zetsu appeared as a projection, just as Konan and a masked man named "Tobi" entered the room, taking a seat on both sides of their leader.

"Report." Pein ordered.

"We learned what happened to Hidan and Kakuzu. **They are both dead.**" answered Zetsu, in his dual voices.

"The two jinchūriki were able to kill them both?" asked Konan.

"Hidan's body was found a few feet away from where the conflict most likely began.It looked like he died from blood loss as one of his arms was missing and he had a big hole in his chest. **It also looked like he had aged a great deal as well. It's a possibility that one of the jinchūriki had managed to nullify his immortality during the fight**."

"How is that even possible?" Konan asked in a whisper.

"What about Kakuzu?" asked Pein, as if he hadn't learned that the immortal Jashinist had just been _killed_.

"There was no body to be found, but there were signs of where he stood at his final moments. **There is a huge trench that stretches almost to the border.** Whatever jutsu he was hit with, it killed him instantly."

"So either the Nibi jinchūriki or the Kyūbi jinchūriki knows how to use a Bijūdama." said Tobi in an unfamiliar calm voice.

"What about the jinchūriki?" queried Pein.

"They're probably long gone." answered Tobi, his gaze locking onto the Akatsuki leader. "This has become a very annoying problem, Pein. Not only did you fail to eliminate Hanzō, but we've lost our accountant _and_ we have no idea where the last four bijū are. How are we going to rectify this?"

Pein remained silent for a moment, before he spoke again. "We have no other choice but to temporarily put our plans on hold. As we are now, we do not have enough funds to continue our operations."

"This is not acceptable. That boy has royally upset our arrangements; I will not forget this." growled Tobi, cold fury radiating from his very being.

Pein remained stony faced; his narrowed eyes the only indication of just how annoyed he was. "When the time comes, I will deal with him personally. I will show him what happens to those dare to defy a god."

**_XXX_**

Tsunade took a sip of her tea as she picked up another scroll. When she saw that it had Jiraiya's little tag on it, she immediately opened it and began reading. She was eager to know more about the rumors coming out of Shimo no Kuni. As she read, she was surprised to find out that it had to do with the Akatsuki. Apparently, the locals had found a member of the group with one of his arms missing, laying in a pool of his own blood. She knew that the members of Akatsuki operated in groups of two, but there was no sign of the other operative. There was also a deep trench that traveled almost to their border; that is, if what Jiraiya was reporting an accurate account. While she was glad that two more members were gone, making the terrorist organization weaker, she couldn't help but wonder if Naruto had a hand in the destruction detailed in the scroll she had in her hands.

She recalled the report from two and a half months ago, during the crisis with the Kazekage. After she made an example out of Sasuke for disobeying the daimyo's orders (which he was still paying for, much to her enjoyment) she had Neji give her his report. At first, she was worried, thinking that Naruto had started fighting the Akatsuki on his own. But minutes after she had dismissed the jōnin, Jiraiya entered her office via the window, smiling and praising his former student for his insight. Apparently, Naruto wasn't fighting them at all, and had resorted to merely delaying their goals. With his new skill in fūinjutsu, it wouldn't have been hard for Naruto to seal the bijū and then hide them. When Jiraiya explained that he followed a set of tracks in Tsuchi no Kuni that looked like the footprints of the Gobi no Iruka-Uma, it strengthened the theory that Naruto had a hand behind the disappearance of the Sanbi no Kyodaigame.

Still, Tsunade was concerned about whether this battle in Shimo no Kuni was directly linked to Naruto or not. From what she had learned, the boy was focused on getting the bijū into hiding, and she knew that the only other living container in the shinobi world was the Kumo kunoichi, Nii Yugito. Countless questions raced through her mind: Did he get to her before they did? And if he did, did they get into a fight with the two, now dead, Akatsuki members? Why would he change his tactics from retrieval and protection to combat?

Suddenly, there was a knock on her door. After giving the order to enter, a courier ninja walked in and handed her an envelope. She took the envelope and gave the man a tip, sending him one his way. Once she was alone, she tore open the envelope and pulled out a piece of paper. She unfolded the letter and began to read, only stop once she saw the introduction. Her eyes widened with disbelief once she saw the first two words, knowing that there was only one person in the world had the balls to say those words to her face. She immediately called Shizune from outside and told her that she was not to be interrupted. As soon as her first apprentice acknowledged her request and shut the door, Tsunade turned back to the letter and began to read.

_Dear Obaa-san,_

**_XXXXX_**

**_Authors' Notes_**: Again, another fine chapter that was beta read by my friend, Toa Naruto. In fact, the fight scene that was in this chapter totally goes to Toa as I couldn't quite get a good fight going. I thank you Toa Naruto for your genius. Anyway, this is one of the last chapter to this revamp of **_'Mizukage'_**. As I said at the beginning of this story, I was displeased some of the things I did with the original. While it did gain a lot of views and praise, I knew that I could have done much better if I had gone to the beginning instead of the middle. As this book closes, another one will open. Be on the lookout for the next book of the series, **_'Journey Through the Mist'_**.

On another note, I wish all my reviewers, all my critics and everyone on the site, a very Happy New Year.

**_Techniques_**

**_Jiongu_** – Earth Grudge Fear - This technique is a secret kinjutsu of Takigakure. It transforms the user's body into something similar to that of a rag-doll's, which is held together by hundreds of thick black threads. Kakuzu was able to manipulate these threads for many purposes. He was capable of sewing up any injuries that he or others might suffer, most commonly by reattaching body parts. However, it appeared that this ability was somewhat limited, as he warned Hidan not to move his head too much after he had sewed it back on, saying that it might fall off again. He could detach parts of his limbs and then manipulate them, to the point that he could even send them underground and then reattach them when he was done with them.

The most significant aspect of these threads were that they granted Kakuzu a form of immortality, although he declined to think of it that way. In addition to sewing up his injuries, he could use the threads to tear into a victim's body, steal their still functioning organs, and integrate them into his own body, thus extending his life. Kakuzu usually used this method to steal hearts from powerful shinobi, and was able to store up to four spare hearts in his body at any given time, meaning that all hearts must stop functioning in order for Kakuzu to die. He can also put one of those hearts into his limbs and have them move individually, as seen when he used his hand to remove a shadow-enhanced trench knife that prevented the rest of his body from moving.

The extra hearts in Kakuzu's body are normally stored in various animal masks that were sewn onto his back, granting him vast amounts of chakra and numerous elemental affinities. He could detach these masks and have them take on a body of their own, composed entirely of threads. These masks were capable of attacking separately, unleashing devastating blasts of elemental chakra. These threads could also compact together to form a spider-like body around Kakuzu, allowing him to fuse the attacks of his masks together in order to increase his attacking power.

**_Eiyu no Mizu_** – Hero Water - The **Hero Water** is from Takigakure and it allows a ninja to have at least a ten-fold increase in chakra for a short period of time. In exchange for this power, the water shortens the user's life span by the number of times his chakra increased, as Shibuki's father died from the side-effects. The chakra increase was so potent that, as Suien demonstrated, the user can create a chakra shield to deflect kunai, similar to the Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven.

The water is produced once every one hundred years from the giant tree that hides the village.

**_Fūton: Atsugai_** – Wind Release: Pressure Damage - A powerful wind technique which is released by Kakuzu's wind-element mask. A tornado-like mass is compressed until it has a very high density and is then released. The wind pressure is raised to its highest limit, and once the technique hits the target, the resulting blast sweeps everyone off their feet.

If the technique is used by someone who has mastered wind nature transformation, the blast can hit a vast range, inflicting massive damage on both the target and their surroundings.

This technique can be combined with the Fire Release: Intelligent Hard Work, to increase the flame's potency in a great scale, causing a massive fire-storm.

**_Raiton: Gian_** – Lightning Release: False Darkness - Kakuzu's lightning-element mask emits lightning in the shape of a spear from its mouth, which then pierces the enemy. Its destructive power is great enough to even pierce through rock; meaning it has a high killing potential. The user can increase the number of spears to attack multiple enemies. This, coupled with the sheer speed of the lightning, makes it a difficult technique to evade. This technique is capable of being focused into a straight beam, similar to a laser.

**_Katon: Zukokku_** – Fire Release: Intelligent Hard Work - Kakuzu's fire-element mask fires a small fireball that erupts into a giant fire-storm after making contact with a surface, causing widespread destruction to the area. Since the flames travel along the ground, and cover such a wide area this is a difficult technique to evade. When combined with Wind Release: Pressure Damage, this technique is amplified to the point of being able to evaporate a large amount of water in an instant.

**_Doton: Doryūheki_** – Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall - The user creates a solid wall of earth as a form of defence. Chakra is either converted to earth within the body and then spat out to form the wall or the user can manipulate pre-existing earth to form the wall. The earth then instantly rises up and takes form. The barrier itself is also coated with chakra, making its strength incomparable to that of a normal mud wall. Because of the earth's special characteristics, the wall is highly resistant against, for instance, fire and water. Also, for a Kage-class shinobi it is possible to create a vast volume of earth.

**_Doton: Domu_** – Earth Release: Earth Spear - The user flows chakra through all parts of their body causing it to become noticeably darker, which increases their defensive power to its utmost limits by making the skin as hard as diamond. Furthermore, the destructive power of physical attacks is increased, making this a great all-purpose technique. The amount of techniques that can break through the areas hardened by the Earth Spear are close to zero, excluding its undeniable weak point: Lightning Release ninjutsu. Kakuzu used this technique through the use of his earth-element mask.

Kakuzu demonstrated the ability to use this to cover himself partially (i.e. his hand and lower arm, and the side of his head) without using handsigns, which gave him a significant tactical advantage against ambushes.

**_Tajū Kage Bunshin no Jutsu_** – Multiple Shadow Clone Technique - This technique is essentially a massive version of the Shadow Clone Technique. Instead of a few clones, it creates a few hundred clones (or a number of equal grandeur). This is considered a kinjutsu, because it can potentially be dangerous to the person performing it, seeing as how all of the clones are given an equal amount of chakra directly from the user. Naruto learned the technique from the scroll of forbidden seals written by the First Hokage.

Few people are able to use this technique effectively, due to the large amount of chakra it consumes. However, this weakness is not an issue to Naruto, due to his massive chakra reserves. Having such reserves allows him to create hundreds of clones while maintaining a decent supply of chakra in each one. This technique is also used by Naruto to train quickly, since all the clones share their experiences with Naruto, but it causes extreme fatigue with repeated use.

**_Yari no Kaze_** – Spear of Wind – Naruto's original technique. Controlling and shaping the wind with his chakra, Naruto is able to form an invisible spear of wind to attack his opponents. The technique cannot be seen but the force of Naruto's throw can give an indication of what is coming. Only a dōjutsu can see the deadly attack.

**_Suiton: Daibakufu no Jutsu_** – Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique - This technique extends water over a large scale, surges and rises up to several dozen metres high. Then it streams down to the ground in one big cascade, much like a gigantic waterfall. In doing so, it resembles a huge wave, with tremendous power that can hollow out the ground. What remains after that technique's utilisation is reminiscent of no less than the aftermath of a natural disaster. This is a considerably advanced ninjutsu, and activating this technique requires a fair amount of chakra.

**_Bijūdama_** - The **Tailed Beast Ball** is the ultimate technique of a tailed beast. To form the attack, they gather both positive black chakra (+の黒チャクラ, _purasu no kuro chakura_), and negative white chakra (−の白チャクラ, _mainasu no shiro chakura_), shape it into a sphere, and then compress it inside their mouth. The black and white chakra needs to be balanced at an 8:2 ratio respectively or it will backfire. The ball can be fired differently, either in sphere form, which can be detonated for a wave explosion or launched to form a dome-shaped blast, or as a concentrated beam of energy which gives it explosive penetrative power. A Tailed Beast Ball is incredibly dense, as when Naruto Uzumaki in his four-tailed form created one, ground around him sunk beneath his weight after he swallowed it. When used in close proximity to other tailed beasts performing the technique, the Tailed Beast Balls can be combined, vastly increasing the attack's destructive power and size.

The power of the attack is relative to the power of the user. The technique fired from a four-tailed Naruto broke through three Rashōmon gates without losing its momentum. A fully charged Tailed Beast Ball from Gyūki can fill an entire valley with the explosion as well as plough through a multiple layered barrier, while Kurama's own can create an explosion that is far larger than the Hokage Monument and the mountains around it, as well as equal that of a combined ball of five tailed beasts. When used by the Ten-Tails in its mature form, the Ten-Tails' Tailed Beast Ball took on a conical shape, and upon impact was able to destroy an entire village some distance away.

The tailed beasts' jinchūriki can also use this ability, though they need to be in their full tailed beast forms. Should the jinchūriki lose control of their tailed beasts, they can perform this technique despite not being fully transformed, as seen when Naruto used it in his 'Version 2' form.


	17. Epilogue

**_Epilogue_**

_Dear Obaa-san,_

_How are you doing? It's been a while since we spoke or anything, huh? I hope that you haven't drunk yourself into a stupor because of what happened nearly three years ago. Let me first say that I don't blame you for my banishment. You were forced to make that decree, I understand that. Either way, I'm writing this letter to let you know that I'm safe and sound, since you're probably already checking out what happened in Shimo no Kuni. To answer your question: yes, I was involved in that battle. All I can say is that I managed to take down two more members of Akatsuki, with some help from their original target. Don't worry, she's safe now, but I can only pray that she keeps a low profile from now on._

**_XXX_**

Yayoi and her men were getting ready to make plans to begin their guerrilla attacks on the Gashira clan. With some help from the citizens and shinobi that were secretly against the Gashira in Kumo, the resistance managed to arm themselves with a decent amount of weapons and armor. As they were discussing strategies, a cloaked figure entered their field. They were about to kill the intruder, when they managed to get a good look at who the newcomer was. To their surprise, they saw that it was none other than Yugito! She gave Yayoi a catty smile and asked what was up. Yayoi stared at her friend in disbelief, unshed tears building up in her eye, before she launched herself at Yugito and embraced the blond in a tight hug.

**_XXX_**

_As to who were the two Akatsuki operatives that we dealt with, you can talk to Shibuki and someone from Yu no Kuni for information. Either way, they're gone now; hopefully this will send the Akatsuki underground for a while. If you don't already know by now, I helped hide the Gobi no Iruka-Uma and the Sanbi no Kyodaigame. It should be impossible for Akatsuki to find the two of them, since I took some extra precautions in hiding them._

**_XXX_**

The Gobi was enjoying his seclusion within the land of Numa no Kuni. There was an abundance of food, and plenty of room to move around. And with the barrier and traps that Naruto had placed around his new home, the Akatsuki wouldn't be finding him any time soon. Feeling particularly lazy at the moment, he decided to get some sleep for the rest of the day.

**_XXX_**

On the other side of the world, a crew watched in awe as their ship sailed side by side by a huge, one-eyed turtle. The large creature looked at them curiously for a while, before it submerged completely. The ship rocked a little, but the sea remained calm. After a tense moment of waiting, they figured that the giant turtle wasn't going to resurface. The crew was ecstatic, they couldn't wait to get to port and tell everyone about what they witnessed.

**_XXX_**

_So, just to let you know, you don't need to worry about them anymore. Well, I guess that's all I wanted to say. To tell the truth, this is actually a good-bye letter. By the time you read this, I'll be going deeper off the grid. I think it would be for the best, as I don't know if my latest action would stop the Akatsuki from hunting me or the others for long. Either way, I think that it would be safer if I just vanished for a while. I just wanted to let you know that I'm alright, and that I don't blame you for how things turned out back at Konoha. You were like the annoying aunt that I never had, but you still cared a great deal for me. I'll always remember that and cherish the time we had, no matter how short it was. Just stick with the job Obaa; it'll get better for you as time goes on._

_With love,_

_Uzumaki Naruto_

**_XXX_**

Naruto looked over the ruins of Uzushiogakure no Sato. He was a little disheartened by the destruction he saw, yet he felt complete in being here. This was the home country of his mother, whom he still knew nothing about. Despite the fact that Uzushiogakure was now a desolate ruin, it was the land where his clan originated. With a sigh, he flexed his back, making it pop, before he made his way further into the ruins, which were now going to be his new home.

**_XXXXX_**

**_Authors' Notes_**: Well, here's the end. Thanks again to Toa Naruto for his help and I hope you enjoyed this story. Again, look out for the new book, **_'Journey Through the Mist'_**, the next story in **_'Mizukage'_**. Have a Happy New Year!


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